Watching the trailer for this American remake of the nifty minimalist French thriller 13 Tzameti is a bit frustrating. It looks remarkably similar to the original film, and the fact that Géla Babluani directed both versions only adds to my suspicion that this remake is unnecessary and probably kind of dull. But then there's the cast. And the fact that watching Mickey Rourke, 50 Cent, Sam Riley and Jason Statham play Russian Roulette under Michael Shannon's supervision may actually be enough to get me to watch the same movie again.
The other problem with this trailer is that it gives away quite a bit of the film, which I suppose is the only way to market it. In any case, I won't be spoiling anything if I tell you that it involves rich people gambling on a group of men who are forced to play Russian Roulette in a remote building.
The remake predictably has much glossier production values, but honestly I thought the stylish black and white photography and stark atmosphere of the original was all that kept it from becoming a short film dragged out to tepid-feature length. So based on this trailer, I'm still backing the original version. But, dammit! This cast! Every single person seems like they're giving it their all and I never thought I'd see the day when Micky Rourke squared off against 50 cent...
Verdict: Could someone to find a way to put this new cast in the original version of the film? Please?