Written and directed by Giacomo Abbruzzese, after a painful journey through Europe, Alex, the Belarusian, joins the Foreign Legion in France and clings to a confused hope of a European identity. Jomo, the Nigerian, fights for the survival and durability of his people in the Niger Delta and is ready to die to defend his ideas.
These two young people who are sacrificed and smashed together will, against all odds, meet and their destinies will merge to continue across borders, bodies, life and death. Starring: Franz Rogowski, Morr Ndiaye, Laëtitia Ky, Leon Lučev, Matteo Olivetti, Robert Więckiewicz, Michał Balicki, Ash Goldeh, Max Geller and Mutamba Kalonji.
When Disco Boy opens Giacomo Abbruzzese, along with the help of cinematographer Hélène Louvart, builds a sharpness which holds a low-key brutality. The style is emotive and the colours and detail have a real punch to them. It’s a continuous theme throughout, the imagery holds a great deal of power, with the exception of a few bits of effects work which are rocky. It’s filled with conflict, both in a traditional and political sense. However, where the visual is ticking all the right boxes, the story tends to fall short.
Starting out with the friendship between Alex (Franz Rogowski) and Mikhail (Michał Balicki) was a wonderful choice, it’s a touching connection to watch. However, it doesn’t have a big part to play in the bigger picture, and moving forward, the film is split between Alex and Jomo (Morr Ndiaye) which doesn’t work well. You can see the intention to show the two sides of the coin, how their lives intersect but the two struggle to blend together. Their contrast has a point but hinders the flow of the film.
Part of that is the lack of dialogue, with so much of the story left to the atmosphere, it keeps viewers at arm’s length. This story calls out for a powerhouse of emotion and turmoil but it simply isn’t there. It’s a strange thing to say when you have an actor of the calibre of Franz Rogowski at the helm, when he’s shown his undeniable skill at getting under your skin in numerous films. We do still see that but it feels as though he isn’t give the chance to break out and bring this character to his full potential. Whereas the rest of the cast don’t really get much of a chance at all to cement personalities.
Disco Boy has a strong style and a greatly tense atmosphere but sadly, it feels as though the story rings quite hollow. The intentions are there, the foundation is set but there’s a lack of sincere progression or development to fill out all the complex layers that this story is calling out for. Franz Rogowski still gives as reliably strong of a performance as ever but it doesn’t feel as though it’s truly making use of his talent.
FilmCarnage.com 