Damn. The 2013 French action thriller Zulu, directed by Jérôme Salle, is a knock-your-socks off piece of filmmaking. It’s violent – VERY violent – but not without purpose, and the twisty/twisted narrative (involving something called Project Coast which is beyond disgusting) takes familiar procedural elements and filters them against the dangerous and exotic backdrop of South Africa and various groups of drug-runners and gang-members. The racial unrest that has plagued South Africa for years is on full display in this exciting film, with the story touching on generational violence that has formed the attitudes and behaviors of the various characters. This is one of those international productions, like Metro Manila and Miss Bala and Sin Nombre, that takes you on a hellish ride, never interested in holding your hand, and plunging you into a volatile world of nightmarish scenes of human behavior. Orlando Bloom was really good here, and Forest Whitaker, as always, commands the screen whenever he appears. Stunning cinematography and fantastic location work contribute to the visually vibrant atmosphere, and while the script is probably too on-the-nose with its dialogue in a few spots, there’s a ferocity to the storytelling and filmmaking that puts most American actioners to shame. Excellent shoot-outs that don’t shy away from the bloody consequences of urban warfare. Available as a Region B Blu-ray only, which is rather pitiful, given that it deserves to be seen by a much wider audience.
Podcasting Them Softly 