‘Freedom’ Review: Mélanie Laurent’s Smash-and-Grab Fictionalization Pays Homage to the Art of the Heist
variety.comCourtney Howard Rather than taking the obvious route with an action-heavy, fictionalized portrait of French thief Bruno Sulak’s criminal misadventures of the late 1970s and early ’80s, filmmaker Mélanie Laurent shrewdly treats “Freedom” as an introspective, tragic romance centered on one man’s purpose and passion.
Her creative instincts prove correct, though flawed and not exactly all that unique given the existence of “Heat,” “Thief” and a litany of other titles that traverse similar thematic territory.
While she and co-writer Christophe Deslandes hit tonal notes at an efficient pace and introduce fascinating angles connecting the three leads, their spin on true-life events, exploring the psyches behind all involved, barely scratches the surface, leaving its impact severely blunted.
When we first meet rebellious mastermind Bruno (Lucas Bravo, who could pass for a young Gerard Butler), he’s knocking over small-town supermarkets for sport with his getaway-driver girlfriend Annie (Léa Luce Busato) and burly bagman buddy Drago (Steve Tientcheu).
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