In his feature debut, Belgian filmmaker Michiel Blanchart takes a simple and familiar action film set-up and gives it his own spin by adding pertinent social commentary. In “Night Call,” Mady (Jonathan Feltre), a young locksmith, has quite the violent and eventful evening in Brussels. He tangles with nefarious characters, makes affecting friendships and runs against the clock to save himself. Blanchart proves himself adept at giving all his ensemble various shading, shifting the audience’s allegiances and making his film much more than the usual brutal actioner.
Mady is called upon by Claire (Natacha Krief), a mysterious but affable woman, to open her apartment after losing her keys. After she flirts with him, he allows her to trick him and runs away stealing a big plastic bag. Suddenly he’s alone in a stranger’s apartment looking like a burglar. The bag has lots of money in it, the stranger is a violent gangster and Mady is soon on the run himself with a whole gang of bad guys after him. Chief among the gangsters chasing him are the menacing Yannick (Romain Duris) and his tough but sensitive enforcer Theo (Jonas Bloquet).
Mady is a resourceful and smart young man. Using his smarts, he manages to make his adversaries believe in his innocence. His talent as a locksmith comes in handy several times, enabling him to keep the bad guys at bay — for a while, anyway. But before long, people start getting killed, and the cat-and-mouse chase closes in on Mady with dangerous and fatal consequences. All of this happens within a night in which Brussels is witnessing large scale protests against the police for their murder of a young Black man.
At the beginning, these demonstrations are at the margins of the film — more like background noise than an integral part of the plot. Slowly, they become the driving force of the narrative, giving “Night Call” meaningful social heft. Mady only joins when it suits him, thinking that being in the crowd would help him escape. However as he begins to understand the true nature of what he’s involved in, the parallels to what’s happening in the city become apparent.
In addition to being attuned to social issues, Blanchart proves himself adept at kinetic action filmmaking. “Night Call” flows easily from one set piece to another. As he mentions in the press notes, Blanchart is clearly influenced by American thrillers like “Collateral” and “Training Day.” There’s even direct homage to the former, with a chase scene set inside a noisy blustering nightclub. However, this is smart homage and not just a copy-and-paste of genre triumphs. Blanchart has a discerning eye and flair to spare. Additionally, Sylvestre Vannoorenberghe’s camerawork keeps the action taut while capturing the nuances of the numerous performances.
With a threatening presence, Duris makes for a sinister villain. Bloquet is reminiscent of his countryman Matthias Schoenaerts’ turn in “Rust and Bone,” shading his character with similar macho compassion. But it’s Feltre’s central performance that keeps the film together. His eyes wide, his face full of fear — that survival drive carries the film through its many plot twists. He’s believable as someone who commits crimes, but also as someone who hums Petula Clark’s tender “La Nuit N’en Finit Plus” as he works.
For audiences looking for an entertaining action adventure, “Night Call” delivers on its promise. But it also acts as an introduction to a writer and director who knows this genre and is willing to give it a modern spin full of topical issues. By encompassing this broader canvas, “Night Call” reveals itself to be more than one man’s nightmarish odyssey. By giving the audience real life issues to chew on, it distinguishes itself from the usual programmer fare.
