Skip to main content

Slalom (2020)


Slalom is a Franco-Belgian drama film directed by Charlène Favier, released in 2020. This is the director's first feature-length fiction film.

This riveting, Cannes-selected #MeToo drama from debut filmmaker Charlène Favier follows the relationship between a teenage ski prodigy and her predatory instructor, played by frequent Dardenne brothers collaborator Jérémie Renier. In a breakthrough role, Noée Abita plays 15-year-old Lyz, a high school student in the French Alps who has been accepted to an elite ski club known for producing some of the country's top professional athletes. Taking a chance on his new recruit, ex-champion turned coach Fred decides to mold Lyz into his shining star despite her lack of experience. Under his influence, she will have to endure more than the physical and emotional pressure of the training. Will Lyz's determination help her escape Fred's exploitative grip?

Freddy and Krasnaya Movie Review
***SPOILER ALERT***

K: Slalom, to me, is a really good drama. We see a coach and his 15-year-old student trying to achieve their goals under some unresolved psychological problems. Lyz (Noée Abita) is a lonely girl, her parents are divorced and she manages to get into an elite slalom school. She adores skiing and through it, tries to get her parents attention by showing that she's worth something. She finds this needed attention in her coach, Fred (Jérémie Renier) who sees her potential.

F: I know who would love this movie if he was alive. Jeffrey Epstein 😂. At least some of his island buddies can still enjoy it. Yes, pedophilia. This movie is able to show in a very intelligent manner the innocence of being 15. Even if you look and act like an adult, you are still very much a child. The movie feels a little claustrophobic because of all the snow, it seems like we never change location. I felt trapped, so maybe there was an intention from the director to make you feel like that. I enjoyed the movie and the actors did great. Every dialogue and action felt realistic.

Slalom Ski Scene 2020
This is a cool scene.
K: The scene where Fred explains Lyz that menstruation is a cosmic process and she doesn't have to be ashamed of it, shows how distant Lyz was from her mother. When Lyz finally won her first championship, it seemed to me that Fred was taken back and felt he had that pedestal, the one he never had due to his injury. So, he gets so excited that he crosses the limits with Lyz. So slowly from the triumph they fell down into the misery of shame, abuse and total confusion. That confusion disappears when Lyz's mother finally says she's sorry for being such a bad mother.

F: The first time our main character, Lyz, was abused I had to laugh. It was so strange, so out of nowhere and primitive. Even though it looked stupid, it made sense and I can imagine a sexual deviant acting exactly like that.
It's a serious matter and totally disgusting in real life, but I found the scene very funny. You win the cup and your coach gets horny for a little handjob.😂
The second time Lyz got abused it wasn't so funny and made me feel uncomfortable. Especially those moments after the rape. 
That's how you fuck up someone for the rest of their life. I wanted to see pervy-pedo Freddy being arrested but the movie had made its point.

Dude tongue kissing car windows
That kid has some sweet moves!
F: I enjoyed the ski parts very much. They looked very cool with the music. There was also a reference to Little Red Riding Hood that I thought was cute.
It's not a long movie and it shows in very simple terms how an abusive pedophile relationship can go, and how people can be tricked by themselves to not do anything to stop it. This is the case of Fred's partner, for example.
The message for me is that the world is filled with perverts, unfortunately, and if you have kids, you should be around to help them grow up.

K: I loved the storytelling of the movie, the picture is incredible (oh, I miss the snow so much) and some references too. The movie sucks you into the scenes and you only leave when the closing credits appear on screen with some beautiful music. It was a worthwhile movie that made me think and feel.

Teenage Boobies
These are NOT underage boobies you pervert!
Freddy's Score: 68/100
Krasnaya's Score: 80/100

FINAL SCORE

Q&A WITH DIRECTOR CHARLÈNE FAVIER

Comments

  1. im interested in watching this movie. where can i find it? can i download it here?

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Frank Oz: From Worst to Best

I've finished my Frank Oz filmography a while back and hadn't had the time to post here the rank and some thoughts about his work. Let's try to refresh my memory and give you some of my opinions... man. Frank Oz is a true legend. At 81, he's not just a brilliant filmmaker but also a puppeteer and writer whose characters, from the Muppets to Sesame Street, have touched countless lives. His directing career is full of outstanding, entertaining movies; out of 14 films, there's really only one rotten apple in the bunch. I'm not sure if he's planning to make any more movies, but I'd love to see him try his hand at a serious drama, just to see him flex a different creative muscle. I wouldn't like to be that famous, I value my privacy. Mind you, Miss Piggy enjoys every moment of it. If it were not for me, she would spend all her time in the limelight. Frank OZ This is his entire fi...

Friendship (2024)

Plot Summary: Suburban dad Craig Waterman (Tim Robinson) becomes obsessed with new neighbor Austin Carmichael (Paul Rudd). A quirky bromance spirals into a cringe-filled, emotional unraveling as Craig struggles with boundaries and rejection. Director & Writer: Andrew DeYoung Producer(s): Raphael Margules, J.D. Lifshitz, Johnny Holland, Nick Weidenfeld Music: Keegan DeWitt Cinematography: Andy Rydzewski Editing: Sophie Corra Starring: Tim Robinson as Craig Waterman Paul Rudd as Austin Carmichael Kate Mara as Tami Waterman Jack Dylan Grazer as Steven Waterman Josh Segarra, Billy Bryk, Jason Veasey and others   ***SPOILER ALERT*** A Wild Ride into Unhinged Genius Alright, instant noodles, shrimp flavor, done. Now for the actual love letter to Friendship, that magnificent, fucked-up black comedy that quite literally brought Tim R...

Straw (2025)

Plot Summary: Janiyah Wiltkinson (Taraji P. Henson), a desperate single mother of a seriously ill daughter, spirals through eviction, job loss, and tragedy in one catastrophic day. In a last-ditch attempt to get medicine, she starts a bank standoff — but a shocking twist reveals her daughter actually died hours earlier, and Janiyah has been dissociating from reality. Eventually, with support from a bank manager and detective, she surrenders peacefully amid growing public sympathy. Director & Writer: Tyler Perry Producer(s): Tyler Perry Cinematography: Justyn Moro Music: Dara Taylor Editing: Nick Coker Cast: Taraji P. Henson as Janiyah Wiltkinson Sherri Shepherd as Nicole (bank manager) Teyana Taylor as Detective Raymond Sinbad as Benny Glynn Turman as Richard (Janiyah’s boss) Rockmond Dunbar as Chief Wilson Ashley Versher as Tessa  ...

The Shrouds (2024)

Plot Summary: Tech entrepreneur Karsh (Vincent Cassel) creates a system—GraveTech—that lets mourners watch their loved ones decompose in real time. After some shrouds are mysteriously hacked and vandalized, he digs into a disturbing cyber conspiracy involving grief, surveillance, and obsession. Director & Writer: David Cronenberg Producer(s): Saïd Ben Saïd, Martin Katz, Anthony Vaccarello Music: Howard Shore Cinematography: Douglas Koch Editing: Christopher Donaldson Starring: Vincent Cassel as Karsh Diane Kruger as Becca / Terry / Hunny Guy Pearce as Maury Sandrine Holt as Soo‑Min ***SPOILER ALERT*** The Return of Cronenberg… and Preset C F: Guess who's back? After a 10-year hiatus on this blog, Preset C is joining us to review the latest Cronenberg movie, The Shrouds. And you know what else is coming back with him? So...

Top 5 - Luc Besson

Hey everyone, and welcome back! While I've been posting regularly, it took me a little while to wrap up my thoughts on Luc Besson's filmography and put together this top 5 video. It's been 384 days since my last post on this topic, so I know this video is long overdue, but I hope you'll agree that it was worth the wait! Video Format: For the Visual Film Lovers For those who prefer watching over reading, this video is an easy-to-digest introduction to Luc Besson's movies. I've been wrestling with how to present my thoughts on a director whose career, for me, went from "Cinéma du look" to "cinema don't look." I apologize for the monotonous AI voice in the video; I'm just not that comfortable speaking English with my accent just yet. But...

Mountainhead (2025)

Plot Summary: Four ultra‑rich tech moguls retreat to a secluded mountain estate as a global AI‑triggered crisis unravels. Their poker weekend turns into a sickening display of arrogance, panic, and slapstick betrayal as they scramble to save face, fortune, and friends. Director & Writer: Jesse Armstrong Music: Nicholas Britell Cinematography: Marcel Zyskind Editor: Mark Davies, Bill Henry Starring: Steve Carell as Randall Garrett Jason Schwartzman as Hugo "Souper" Van Yalk Cory Michael Smith as Venis "Ven" Parish Ramy Youssef as Jeff Abredazi   ***SPOILER ALERT*** First Impressions: Tech Titans and Tedium Okay, another fresh pick! This time, an HBO movie with Steve Carell and Jason Schwartzman, and two other guys I honestly couldn’t name. After peeking at the trailer, I thought Mountainhead might be fun and interesting. The...