Australian director Ariel Kleiman’s debut feature ‘Partisan’ starring Vincent Cassel is set in a claustrophobic micro-society in an unidentified
ADVERTISEMENTAustralian director Ariel Kleiman’s debut feature ‘Partisan’ starring Vincent Cassel is set in a claustrophobic micro-society in an unidentified land, where danger and violence lurk.
Cassel is Gregori, the charismatic leader of a clan of abused women and children. He is their protector and their mentor. Between gardening and games, he also teaches the children to kill, sending them on assassination missions into the outside world. Trouble starts when Alexander, Gregori’s beloved adoptive son, starts questioning his authority.
Both a coming-of-age tale and a dark allegory of fascism, ‘Partisan’ plunges viewers into a world ruled by its own warped moral code.
With his feline, piercing gaze, newcomer Jeremy Chabriel delivers an impressive performance and is a perfect match for Cassel’s commanding Gregori.
Filmed in the former Soviet republic of Georgia, the exterior shots help to conjure an atmosphere of isolation and desperation.
A captivating debut feature by a filmmaker to watch, ‘Partisan’ won’t leave you indifferent. I hope you enjoy the movie, see you soon.
