Prime Video is today releasing “Libre”, a film co-written and directed by Mélanie Laurent, which focuses here on the true story of French burglar Bruno Sulak.
What is it about?
Inspired by real events, the film takes us into the tumultuous wake of Bruno Sulak, a true Arsène Lupine of the 20th century. Flamboyant robber, faithful friend, icon of freedom, Bruno Sulak left his mark on the history of banditry with his non-violent robberies of multiple jewelry stores.
While actively sought after by George Moréas, a non-conformist police commissioner as tough as he is perceptive, Sulak managed to escape from prison several times in order to find Thalie, his lover and accomplice, thus becoming public enemy number 1 from the 80s.
Who is it with?
We discovered him in 2020 in the very chic Netflix series Emily in Paris where he plays a newly starred chef. Lucas Bravo slips into the skin of Bruno Sulak, a role tailor-made for him since he was the only choice of his director, Mélanie Laurent.
After Le Bal des Folles, the actress and director is collaborating again with Prime Video on Libre. On this occasion, she directs Yvan Attal in the role of the cop who tracked down the robber, the promising Léa Luce Busato and Radivoje Bukvic in that of Sulak's faithful accomplice.
He was called “the Arsène Lupine of modern times”
You have to have grown up in the 80s to know Bruno Sulak. Because it was at this time that the young thirty-year-old was involved in a series of heists and made headlines in the media. A cinema character like few others, we have to wait until the 40th anniversary of his death and Prime Video for his story to be adapted for television.
Co-writer and director, Mélanie Laurent allows us to discover her fascinating journey in Libre, available today in streaming. The bickering behind the scenes – Sulak's family accuses them of having stolen his story – certainly had an impact on the writing of this film, the title of which was changed from Sulak to Libre.
Because before being a biopic of this modern-day Arsène Lupine, this film is an ode to a man imbued with freedom, on the margins of society and with a real political conscience.
YouTube screenshot Bruno Sulak during his trial in Albi
Not a biopic…
He was portrayed by the press and those who knew him as a charming man, who broke hearts as easily as he robbed Mammoth stores. When the film opens with a heist scene, we are charmed by its lead, Lucas Bravo.
If Libre has its faults, we can say that Mélanie Laurent's camera particularly highlights its actor. We only have eyes for those of the 36-year-old French actor and for his on-screen partner, the sparkling Léa Luce Busato. A great discovery for those who didn't know it. And the postcard setting in which the protagonists evolve – the scrublands, the French coastline and its turquoise waters… – adds a little extra charm.
But we quickly understand that Libre is not the biopic it thinks it is. Mélanie Laurent's film only explores a small part of the psyche of the big-hearted robber: we know nothing about his youth, the reason why he resents society, and his desire for freedom. The subject is quickly swept away in one or two scenes, without it being developed in more depth.
What if Libre was ultimately not just a romantic comedy between an outsider and his girlfriend who follows him blindly, a sort of modern-day Bonnie and Clyde? The way in which Mélanie Laurent films their bodies and their faces makes us say yes.
Prime Video
…but a film incrimination?
But Libre, however, reminds us of reality with this final scene, which sees Bruno Sulak having an altercation with guards at Fleury Mérogis prison. An ending that we will not mention here but which questions the bias of its director and its screenwriter, as well as the message they wanted to convey.
Presented as “inspired by real events”, the scenario still takes some liberties by only telling a small part of the life of Bruno Sulak and by making him a martyr for freedom, a man of poetry who wanted to free himself from the laws and who fought for the poor, like Robin Hood. If we only see the romantic aspect, Libre is a success. If you wanted to know everything about this French Arsène Lupine, certain podcasts to find online have done this job of decryption better.
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