Night Call
With Brussels in turmoil, protestors having taken to the streets over the police shooting of a young unarmed black man, locksmith Mady Bala (Jonathan Feltre) buzzes about in his van responding to customers. But one, Claire (Natacha Krief), a young woman claiming to have been locked out of her apartment, plunges Mady into a life or death situation when she uses him to steal money from a dangerous criminal gang with her "Night Call."
Laura's Review: B+
Writer/director Michiel Blanchart makes a knockout feature directorial debut with this highwire action film that never lets up and the whole thing is given a golden glow, cinematographer Sylvestre Vannoorenberghe using city lights to unique effect with his fluid camerawork. Blanchart's script is slick as well, using Mady's experience to come full circle.
We get a tip-off on how Mady's night will go over opening credits, when our view of Brussels at night rotates until it is upside down. Blanchart establishes the young locksmith's honesty when he informs a client prepared to give him 300 Euro that the job came to 250. When Mady meets up with Claire, his suspicions are raised when she cannot conform to his usual requirements for such things as cash upfront and an ID proving she lives in the apartment, but Claire has an answer for everything and she is a white woman asking for a black man's help, a complicating factor. Once inside, she returns with a trash bag, claiming she cannot find the cash she thought she had and is going to take out the trash and hit an ATM. Still, Mady stays, but as the minutes tick by he calls her only to be told to get out before 'he' gets home. Too late - a man we will learn is Greg (Sam Louwyck) enters and when Mady cannot give him an explanation for being there, he is brutally assaulted, but fights back, managing to kill the man by thrusting a screwdriver into his neck. But that screwdriver happened to have the name of the locksmith business printed on it and when an anxious Mady returns to retrieve it, Theo (Jonas Bloquet, "Elle") and Remy (Thomas Mustin, "Raw") enter, calling a third when they find Greg's body but not the large amount of money he supposedly was holding. Mady's found hiding under a bed and brought to criminal boss Yannick (Romain Duris, "The Animal Kingdom") who hears him out, then sends him back into the night with Theo and Remy to retrieve his money or lose his life.
Don't forget we're dealing with a locksmith here, on top of which Mady is alert and resourceful. The twisty turns of events are constantly surprising, including a search through an brothel as clients are being serviced, 'Claire' initially presumed to be a prostitute, where Mady overhears a most illuminating phone call which shakes up the playing field. Multiple chase scenes of various types ensue as Mady escapes only to be caught again, the most exciting a stolen bike chase which eventually leads into the subway. Tanguy 'Tepr' Destable's ("I'm Still Here") propulsive score turns appropriately funereal for the demise of one character, but it is Blanchart's one-two punch of an ending which really seals the deal.
Feltre keeps us squarely in his corner while supporting players Krief and Bloquet play characters more complex than they initially appear. Blanchart is not only adept at staging multiple action scenes, but developing characters to invest in. "Night Call" is a cut above, a genre film where displays of humanity and chivalry make unexpected appearances, deepening the film's impact.
Robin's Review: B+
Magnolia released "Night Call" on 1/17/25 under its Magnet label. It will be featured in Boston's Museum of Fine Arts French Film Festival running from 7/25-8/24/25 - click here for details.
