Mélanie Laurent’s follow-up to last year’s Wingwomen sees the actress-turned-filmmaker going for the Bonnie and Clyde-style caper in Freedom, a true-crime drama inspired by Bruno Sulak. Dubbed “the gentleman robber”, he earned that nickname since he doesn’t resort to violence and killing his victims upon committing a robbery. Played by the charming Lucas Bravo, best known for his role as Gabriel in TV’s Emily in Paris, his character is first seen robbing a grocery store with the help of his friend and accomplice Drago (Steve Tientchier). His girlfriend Annie (Léa Luce Busato) is responsible for driving as she sits and waits in the getaway car.
Here, Laurent opens her movie with a sensual close-up shot of Annie as the camera rotates while focusing on her pouty red lips and beautiful face, showcasing the director’s firm grasp on magnetic visuals. There’s a buoyant energy during the opening robbery scene, complete with the part where Bruno casually asks one of the hold-up cashiers to hand him over a lollipop. He sucks it halfway after finding the lollipop too sweet and hands it back to her. The scene ends with Yazoo’s catchy ‘80s synth-pop song “Don’t Go” played in the background.
There is no doubt that Laurent is off to a promising start, indicating we are in for a ride as we watch Bruno and his accomplices continue to rob grocery stores and supermarkets shot in montage. During the interval, Bruno and Annie spend their days making out in the bedroom and having some good times together. Soon, Bruno becomes more ambitious as he moves up to robbing jewellery stores.
His robbery spree brings the attention of the local police commissioner George Moréas (Yvan Attal), who determines to arrest Bruno and his gang. He manages to capture them at one point, only for Bruno to break out of the prison. During Bruno’s imprisonment, he met an inmate Jean-Louis (Slimane Dazi) and they became friends. The rest of the movie continues to explore Bruno’s days of organizing jewellery heists, getting caught, escaping again and vice versa.
Laurent picks the right actor to play the lead role and it isn’t just because of Lucas Bravo’s dashing look but also hits the character’s casually impudent personality. He’s as sly as a fox but he’s fiercely loyal to his friends, even to the point of admitting all the crimes. He’s equally faithful to Annie and they are madly in love with each other, and Laurent reflects that passion from the way she depicts their romance. The only gripe here is Léa Luce Busato’s Annie, who isn’t given enough room for a more fleshed-out character since she can be seen as the heart and soul of her relationship with Bruno.
The pace, in the meantime, is breezy and Laurent alongside cinematographer Stéphane Vallée know well how to make the well-lit scenes look visually appealing. But as much as I enjoy Lucas Bravo and Léa Luce Busato’s performances, Freedom remains a missed opportunity. The movie could have been better, though if only Laurent, who co-wrote the screenplay with Chris Deslandes, delved deeper into Bruno’s colorful life and career as a criminal. The same also goes for the cat-and-mouse chase between Bruno and Moréas, which is rather perfunctory here and misses the mark of turning Freedom into Catch Me If You Can-like crime caper. Not to mention I can’t help but notice the story lays out everything and yet, it barely scratches the surface.
Laurent plays it straight with nothing more than your garden-variety rise and fall of a criminal and frankly, I was hoping for a substantial backstory on Bruno, say before his life as a robber. Interestingly, it took Laurent as long as 10 years to get Freedom off the ground and now that it’s finally here on Prime Video for streaming, the overall result is reminiscent of consuming a greasy fast-food hamburger and fries. It’s like a quick, easy fix to satisfy your hunger but an incredible true-crime story like the French robber and criminal Bruno Sulak deserves an exceptional screen treatment.
Laurent already assembled a stellar cast and her knack for good-looking visuals is undeniable. What’s missing here is the key ingredient that matters the most: strong, insightful storytelling to help elevate Freedom into the next level.
