The press kit for District 13 is an education in itself.  It has several pages on the ‘extreme art’ and ‘lifestyle’ of Parcour which, apparently, has taken hold of the UK, even in the education system – which was news to the film critics.

It is the sport of getting from one place to another as quickly as possible using every physical means available, running, jumping, leaping, acrobating…  If this rouses curiosity, then you had better see District 13 for some vigorous and exhausting examples of parcour illustrated by its founder, David Belle, who stars in this film. 

Apart from that, it is the kind of French action film now associated with Luc Besson who, once upon a time, made such interesting films as Subway, The Fifth Element and, even, The Messenger (Joan of Arc).  In more recent times, he has produced a string of action shows where flash and flair are all and plot is negligible.  I was going to say ‘mindless’ but they are often credited with ‘based on an idea by Luc Besson).  The Taxi series, the Transporter series and Jet Li’s Unleashed are the main examples.

It is 2010.  A wall has separated the squalor of District 13 from the rest of Paris.  Drug barons and their thugs rule.  Leito wants to uphold the law but falls foul of it – but then he is drawn into a plot that defies conspiracy theories and parcours his way out of danger along with his police buddy (Cyril Raffaelli who choreographed the vivid fights).  And all in 85 minutes.

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