288. Racer And The Jailbird (Le Fidèle); movie review

THE RACER AND THE JAILBIRD (LA FIDELE)
CERT 15
127 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong language, sex injury detail

Regular followers of the blog will probably have worked out by now that I am quite a way behind in the pursuit of every film in 2018.
This has led to me being particularly tardy with some reviews so I apologise to those who have provided them and those who want to read them.
Nevertheless, the good news in the case of The Racer And The Jailbird is that it is available on demand so you can still get to see it.
And I recommend it. Matthias Schoenaerts and Adèle Exarchopoulos have served up a romance which is edgier than any I can recall for a long time.
Schoenaerts, who is fast becoming one of the world's top actors, plays a gangster who poses as a car exporter in chatting up a beautiful racing driver (Exarchopoulos).
She falls head over heels and, while everyone else can see that her new beau is a liar, she is having none of it.
Indeed, her love and naivety nearly combine to get the leopard to change his spots. But only nearly.
The mix of rich girl with passion for speed and handsome villain is intoxicating but far from straightforward.
He has to set his love for her against loyalty to his band of friends with whom he has been involved with crime since childhood.
And she knows that she is pushing boundaries but her heart is ruling her head.
Then the final stages of the movie take unexpected turns which add even greater depth to what is already a intriguingly multi-layered picture.
In my view, Hollywood should take note.
While it is enveloped in blandness, the rest of the world is coming up with smart films such as Michaël R. Roskam's The Racer and The Jailbird which will keep audiences guessing.
Sooner or later,  people will be fed up with same old recipe and world cinema directors will be waiting to fill the void.

Reasons to watch: Edgy, fast-moving thriller turned melodrama
Reasons to avoid: If you are expecting an out-and-out gangster movie

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: Yes
Nudity: Yes
Overall rating: 8.5/10

Director statement - Michaël R. Roskam: "The foundation of this story is the love between a man and a woman and the impossibility of actualising their relationship. Their love is thwarted not only by their characters and origins but also by the blows that fate deals them."

The big question - Why are criminals wired without a conscience?

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