The audience meets Ledru\u2019s Julia (aka Unknown) bursting out of an apartment, furious over her stolen bike and pushing off the multiple men who try to hold her back. We\u2019re immediately thrown into the deep end of the action, and it\u2019s unclear exactly where we are or what is happening at first, but we already know Julia is an absolute force. In the next scene, the young woman tames her wild mane with spit, then steals a bike from a rich, preppy dad, giving the finger as she rides away with glee from the man who underestimated her. Whoever this badass is, we\u2019ll follow her, even though we know it\u2019s likely nowhere good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She tries to join in the street antics of a motorbike gang, but she is initially rebuffed, getting called epithets like \u201cwhore\u201d and \u201cweasel face.\u201d Women don\u2019t ride bikes \u2014 or at least they don\u2019t ride them solo or show up alone to the races. She claws her way into the B-more crew, with some of the men welcoming her and others doing anything to keep her out of their circle. When their incarcerated boss, Domino (S\u00e9bastien Schroeder), learns of her aptitude for scamming and stealing bikes, she finds her place in the group, and she grows closer to his wife, Oph\u00e9lie (Antonia Buresi) and son (Cody Schroeder). However, danger still threatens on both the road and amidst the gang, especially as they attempt their biggest heist yet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Quivoron\u2019s work in documentary gives her fiction debut a verit\u00e9 sensibility, making it feel like half of a solid double feature with fellow documentarian-turned-drama-director Crystal Moselle\u2019s Skate Kitchen<\/em>. Both films explore how young women operate in male-dominated spaces and take a realistic yet vibrant approach to filming the feats on skateboards and motorbikes. However, while Skate Kitchen<\/em> remains fully grounded in the skating subculture of New York City, Rodeo<\/em> infuses its story with surrealism, occasionally allowing dreams and visions to break into the otherwise naturalistic storytelling. This doesn\u2019t always feel organic, but there\u2019s power in the images on screen, especially in the film\u2019s penultimate scene. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For a film ostensibly about the mechanical, Rodeo<\/em> is obsessed with the physical. Julia sages her limbs as a purifying ritual, and when rides go wrong, she has the coolest head around the carnage, with her quick work helping injured bikers. She\u2019s a chameleon, changing her appearance and demeanor to get what she wants in any situation. Ledru delivers her wonderfully mouthy lines with brio, but it\u2019s her physicality in the role that elevates both her performance and the film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rodeo<\/em> is a hell of a narrative debut, full of bold choices and a strong voice from both Quivoron and her lead actress. It hums with energy from its frenetic opening, giving just a few moments of rest from its dynamic approach to its coming-of-age story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Rodeo” is out tomorrow in limited release.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/rodeo2-1024x644.png\")
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Quivoron and cinematographer Rapha\u00ebl Vandenbussche embed the audience into the B-more crew, riding alongside them as they perform tricks and speed away from cops.\u00a0 Jaw-dropping shots abound in the stunts they capture, the kinetic handheld camerawork, and the bright colors and lighting that permeate each frame. But as impressive as the action and visuals are, Ledru is even more astounding as the fearless Julia, whether her face shows us her rage at men’s treatment of her or her pure joy of riding. Even when the film stalls for short periods, the first-time actress still fires on all cylinders. Her Julia displays the kind of unfuckwithable spirit that is both enviable and terrifying, but there\u2019s still something tender at her core that makes her feel human in every moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nB+<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n