Review by
Musanna Ahmed
Directed by: Michaël R. Roskam
Starring: Matthias Schoenaerts, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Eric De
Staercke, Jean-Benoît Ugeux
The hard-nosed crime thrillers Bullhead and
The Drop represented an exciting new force in world cinema -
the strong collaboration between filmmaker Michaël R. Roskam and
actor Matthias Schoenaerts. Now, the Belgian thespian takes a break
from all those costume dramas to reteam with Roskam for yet another film of
similar territory. This time the action is in the underworld of Brussels and
features
Blue is the Warmest Colour
breakout Adèle Exarchopoulos as a race car driver. Sadly these
presumably satisfying ingredients aren't enough to prevent the filmmaker
breaking his winning streak with this melodramatic potboiler.
The only upgrade in this step down from The Drop is
Schoenaerts' role as a local thug to a big-time regional gangster (and
jailbird, of course) called Gino, also known as Gigi. Opposite him is racer
Bibi (played by Exarchopoulos) who instantly catches his eyes and his heart.
She's blind to his perilous career and lifestyle until he casually mentions
that he's a gangster in a scene reminiscent of the modern classic
Get Rich or Die Tryin’ when 50 Cent poetically declares to Joy
Bryant, "I'm a gangster," after she asks him what he does for a
living.
Schoenaerts and Exarchopoulos are monstrously talented and it's obvious why
they'd choose to make this film. Roskam guided his muse to an amazing
performance in Bullhead and Exarchopoulos is given an
opportunity to have the same success. But the potentially fascinating world
they're placed in and the roles they inhabit amount to nothing more than an
unoriginal, maudlin and predictable Romeo and Juliet-esque tragedy. The
movie is split into two halves named after the characters and the latter,
Bibi's chapter, revolves around her being diagnosed by a terminal illness.
The structure just makes the parts appear to be more interesting than the
actual whole, without realising the possibilities of two subjective
viewpoints in such a narrative.
The best moment actually happens smack in the middle. The lovers speak to
each other over a pivotal phone call, where their lifestyles and
relationship are compromised by notice from the law, and the scene allows
the pair of actors to demonstrate their best acting abilities through subtle
voice notes, quietly loud emotions and introspective dialogue. It's also the
first time we see how much it all means to Bibi, who previously doesn't get
to say or do much that suggests she cares for it all, though at the same
time doesn't know much about the reality herself.
Being kept in the dark about what your significant other does for a living,
having to choose between personal and professional life when you're at a
crossroads - these aren't bad themes to explore and some television content
especially stands out at handling this well (The Sopranos, Sons of Anarchy, Breaking Bad, etc). Maybe the TV format is what
Racer and the Jailbird needs all along, more time to flesh out
its characters, their relationship, their careers as drivers and criminals,
a stronger narrative, etc, many of which have moments of intrigue but sadly
unfulfilled potential to develop. It certainly would help in keeping track
of all the players in the game; lots of minor characters threaten to get
audiences lost in the mix. Here's a fun idea: take a shot every time you
hear the word "enchanté." You may not make it past the first half of the
film, but that may be for the best.
Racer and the Jailbird is on MUBI UK
Now.