Film: Largo Winch: Deadly Revenge
Release date: 16th August 2010
Certificate: 15
Running time: 104 mins
Director: Jérôme Salle
Starring: Tomer Sisley, Kristin Scott Thomas, Miki Manojoivic, Melanie Thierry, Gilbert Melki
Genre: Action/Adventure/Thriller
Studio: Optimum
Format: DVD
Country: France/Belgium
Belgium and France have a long tradition of comic strips, aka Bande Desinee. They tend to be based less on costumed superheroes and more on a sort of reality squared – a reality both recognisable and fantastical at the same time. Asterix and Tintin may be the more famous titles internationally, but there have been film versions of others, such as Blueberry and Lucky Luke. Luc Besson has recently made a film about comic-strip heroine Adele Blanc-Sec, and finally we get to see the celluloid version of Largo Winch.
Largo is the adopted son of multi-billionaire Nerio Linch, and heir to his company and fortune. However, he has a rebellious streak a mile wide, and has had little to do with his father in the past three years, opting instead to travel the world having his own adventures. When his father is murdered, Largo must travel to Hong Kong to reveal himself to the company board who are reeling in shock from his father’s death. Mikhail Korsky, a sinister rival who has built his company through gun-running is preparing to make a take-over bid but luckily Winch Corp’s second-in-command, Ann Ferguson (Scott-Thomas) proposes a plan to launch a counter-offensive. Largo must prove his mettle both in the boardroom and with his fists, but who can he trust?
What unfolds is a globe-trotting, exciting “origins” tale. We first meet Largo in Brazil, getting into trouble and rescuing/bedding a girl-in-peril. His reward for his actions is to be arrested on false charges of drug-smuggling. One of the things Largo resents is his father using his wealth to buy his way out of situations. Largo’s motto is “I have my own way.” This is illustrated perfectly as Largo breaks out of the Brazilian jail at precisely the same time that Freddy (Melki), Nerio’s scar-faced “Mr Fix-it”, arrives to bribe the guards for his freedom.
The character of Largo Winch comes across as an amalgamation of Bruce Wayne and James Bond, with a touch of Indiana Jones thrown in for good measure. He has a classical education, a quick mind, and is as cool as ice when under pressure. He has issues with fitting into his father’s plans for him, and is constantly trying to escape his destiny. He’s also prone to making the odd mistake, which leads to people he cares about being put in harm’s way.
The plot is pretty sophisticated and takes in a lot of elements, including snapshots of Largo’s upbringing and his issues with his identity. The boardroom dealings aren’t too hard to follow but there is a lot of set-up and counter set-up going on. There are a number of twists along the way – some of which are signposted, while others come right out of the blue. Some characters, obviously important to the Largo Winch mythos, are merely introduced (one woman is rudely imposed upon whilst in the toilet, then is absent from the rest of the film), or are dropped into the film in such a way that will be confusing to those not familiar with the literary version.
I compared Largo to Bond and Bruce Wayne earlier. Luckily, director Jerome Salle delivers a number of exciting action set-pieces to back my claim. Largo is a gifted fighter and deadly with a knife. The fight choreography is mostly filmed in mid-to-long shot, showcasing Tomer Sisely doing most of his own stunts. The production design is pretty superb as well. The CGI’d Winch headquarters building dominates the Hong Kong harbour, and the sun-baked locations in Croatia are beautiful.
Fans of the original novels or the comic strips might take umbrage at the various changes made to some of the details that make up Largo’s world, but nevertheless Tomer Sisely (who can also be seen as a Muslim gangster in Paris Lockdown) is great in the role of Largo, making him a true iconic celluloid hero and embodying the athleticism, sex appeal and intelligence needed to bring the character to life. Kristin Scott-Thomas also does well as Ann Ferguson, providing much-needed backbone to the Winch boardroom.
We may not be as familiar with Largo Winch as our French and Belgian cousins, but I suspect that could soon change on the strength of this film. Considering approximately half of the film is in English, Largo Winch should find a large audience, and I for one am looking forward to the next instalment. MOW
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