«Mutafukaz»: a fresh, contemporary action film2 reading minutes

Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival (NIFFF) - Virginia Eufemi

Slums, garbage and images of the Virgin Mary are the backdrop for Mutafukaz, a remarkable Franco-Japanese animated film in the NIFFF's «Films of the third kind» category. This section, which groups together works that are unclassifiable for their originality, welcomes this gem, an adaptation of the eponymous French comic strip by Guillaume «Run» Renard, who also co-directed the film with Nishimi Shojiro.

The viewer follows young Angelino (dubbed by Orelsan), a 22-year-old pizza delivery boy who lives with his friend Vinz (dubbed by rapper Gringe) - a skeleton with a flaming skull - in a hotel room in Dark Meat City's Latino district of Rios Rosas. The latter is the’alter ego dark, evil twin of Los Angeles, where it's best to «keep a low profile», as Angelino reminds us. The protagonist and narrator is fired following a scooter accident caused by a beautiful young woman with a manga look.

After this episode, he begins to perceive strange shadows and realizes that he is being pursued by mysterious men in black who want him dead. After a visit to the two young men by an elite assault team that doesn't skimp on projectiles, a thrilling chase begins that takes them through the violent Palm Hill neighborhood, where hip-hop culture mingles with Shakespearean declamations - not unlike in Romeo+Juliet (1996) by Baz Luhrmann.

Between heroic wrestlers, trigger-happy gangs and armies of loyal cockroaches, this is a fresh, modern, contemporary action film. The music, alternating between dubstep and reggaeton, punctuates the action scenes in this breathless, amusing but also touching feature. Yes, because this is first and foremost a story about friendship, intelligently expressing what binds us to our loved ones and our desire to protect our own.

But also, Mutafukaz focuses on questions of identity: do our origins define who we are, or do we have the choice to become who we want to be? This rich Franco-Japanese production is about the power of love, and is also an alternative critique of current socio-political issues, - with a not unwelcome background of conspiracy theory. Last but not least, the film's management of humor is intelligent and innovative, with no hesitation in quoting current references, placing the film entirely in its time.

The design, by Japanese animation studio Studio 4°C, is not entirely that of the anime, The game has a Western flavor, a blend of GTA and pop culture, thanks in particular to the on-screen intertitles. All the ingredients are there to make Mutafukaz the perfect recipe for a successful film in terms of narrative, action, characters and message. A must-see (or must-see again) this Thursday, July 12, in the NIFFF Open Air.

Write to the author: virginia.eufemi@leregardlibre.com

Photo credit: © NIFFF