Last Friday, the Pathé Masséna put Nice on the big screen with the premiere of “The First Circle,” a film directed by Laurent Tuel featuring Jean Reno.
After speeches from Eric Ciotti, President of the General Council of Alpes-Maritimes, and Christian Estrosi, Deputy Mayor of Nice, Laurent Tuel initiated the screening for the locals.
From the first scenes, the locations seemed familiar to the audience… and then the license plates confirmed that our department was being featured in this film: the number 06 dominated the screen.
First scene: the theft of a Monacan Ferrari at a gas station by two men, who are part of an Armenian-origin clan. This family did not choose integration but rather embraced violence. The story of the Malakian clan unfolds under Laurent Tuel’s camera. The clan is led by an exceedingly skilled yet violent mobster, Milo Malakian alias Jean Reno, who plans to hand over his empire to his heir, his son Anton, portrayed by Gaspard Ulliel. The young man longs for a different life, a cleaner life. The secret relationship he has with Elodie (a nurse from the region), played by Vahina Giocante, opens his eyes to the violent and dead-end world of his father. He must break out of this circle…
This thriller showcases the story of a father who hopes his son will replace him. This son, specifically, rejects the power of violence. He is sober, polite, and well-educated. Will he have to kill his father to live his own life, despite the strong ties that bind the family?
In “The First Circle”: Violence and Passion merge in the landscapes of the Côte d’Azur… from Bordighera to the Camargue.
But why choose this location? “It was obvious,” Laurent Tuel responds, “The colors of Nice are very rich. It’s a bit like California!”
After a horror film with “A Child’s Play” in 2001, after a dramatic comedy with “The Acapulco Rock” in 1995, after an almost fantastical comedy with “Jean-Philippe” in 2006, Laurent Tuel signs a thriller with The First Circle. Laurent Tuel, an eclectic director! He already announces that his next film will take on a new hue. And for Nice Premium, he reveals that the shooting will take place in Africa featuring a story of piracy and humanitarian mission.
Another change in style? “Yes!”
