Character Relationship Map: 22 Bullets

Characters

• Charly Matteï (played by Jean Reno) — protagonist

  A retired mafia boss who abandoned his criminal life three years before the story begins and devoted himself to his wife and children. After surviving an ambush that leaves him with 22 bullets, he inv...

• Tony Zacchia (played by Kad Merad) — protagonist

  Charly Matteï's old friend who inherited control of the criminal business after Charly retired. He is implicated in the attack, Karim's murder, corruption, and financial crimes, and uses threats again...

• Marie Goldman (played by Marina Foïs) — supporting

  A policewoman investigating the shooting that nearly killed Charly Matteï. Her husband, also a policeman, was killed in service and his murderer was never caught, leaving her determined to uncover the...

• Karim's mother (played by Zohra Benali) — minor
• Karim's father (played by Benaïssa Ahaouari) — minor
• Karim (played by Moussa Maaskri) — minor

  A friend of Charly Matteï who is murdered by the people responsible for the original shooting. His death becomes the decisive turning point in Charly's conduct: after initially trying to identify the...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Karim's father → Karim (father)
• Karim's mother → Karim (mother)

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Tony Zacchia → Karim (Conflict Indirect Adversary) — Tony's attack network is linked to Karim's murder through the plot's chain of events.

  Karim is murdered by the people who shot Charly Matteï, while Charly's investigation later leads toward Tony Zacchia as the mastermind.

• Marie Goldman → Tony Zacchia (Conflict Suspect) — Tony is connected to Marie's unresolved personal investigation.

  Marie Goldman suspects that Tony Zacchia's men killed her husband, who was a policeman murdered in the line of duty.

• Charly Matteï → Marie Goldman (Narrative Informant) — Marie's information helps Charly identify the hidden betrayal.

  Marie Goldman reveals to Charly Matteï that one of the eight shooters deliberately missed him.

• Charly Matteï → Tony Zacchia (Social Former Friend) — Their former friendship becomes deeply damaged by Tony's betrayal.

  Charly Matteï left the criminal business to his old friend Tony Zacchia three years before the film begins.

• Charly Matteï → Karim (Social Friend) — Karim's death intensifies Charly's personal need for revenge.

  The plot explicitly identifies Karim as Charly Matteï's friend, and Karim is murdered by the people who shot Charly.

Story Analysis

A retired criminal survives an assassination attempt, confronts his former legacy, and seeks peace with his family after settling the past.

Plot Progression

1. A Past Reopens — Charly Matteï has retired and lives peacefully with his family. An eight-man ambush leaves him with twenty-two bullets and pulls him back toward his criminal past.
2. Revenge Takes Shape — Charly searches for the attackers while trying to avoid immediate bloodshed. Karim's murder changes his restraint into a determined vow of revenge.
3. Justice And Leverage — Marie Goldman pursues the shooting and her husband's unsolved murder. Evidence connecting Tony Zacchia to financial crimes increases the pressure on the criminal successor.
4. The Final Reckoning — The kidnapping of Charly's son forces cooperation between Charly and Marie. Charly rescues his son, confronts Tony, and is released after the police intervention.