For this first cinematographic review since the reopening of theaters, we have chosen to linger for a moment on Slalom, the film by Charlène Favier. It should be noted, moreover, that the critics of Drunk and of Michelangelo, still in theaters now, are still available on the site.
With Slalom, Charlène Favier unexpectedly – and quite cleverly, it is true – tackles the issue of sexual abuse in sports, a less selling subject from a journalistic point of view than the endless discourse on wicked pedophile priests, but yet more recurrent , if the statistics are to be believed. We think, among other things, of the Sarah Abitbol affair, born in the wake of MeToo and BalanceTonPorc, after her revelations in an autobiographical book …
Skating, tennis, judo, athletics, horse riding, football and even – it seems – hammer throw (!), All these disciplines have known, in recent years, business of sexual abuse, with convictions to the key.
Slalom, he chose the world of skiing. The story follows the trajectory of Lyz, fifteen years old, a student in the school sports section who, at a period of his life when his father does not exist and where his mother has moved to Marseille, naturally seeks to win the esteem of Fred. , his trainer. To do this, the young girl manages to stand out from her comrades and to show a real competitive potential. For his part, the trainer has nothing of the sexual predator and saucy one might expect, he initially pays no particular attention to the kid. It was only when he noticed her talent, over the course of training, that this former skier in professional failure ended up basing his hopes on her – his interest in her was purely sporting.
But the concern for the physical maintenance of her pupil mixed with the pride of seeing her win the trials is born something indefinite, between love and desire … Enough to dynamise the foundations – healthy, at the start – on which to build. founded their relationship. And when the coach tries to restore order, to make up for his mistakes, it is already too late. Lyz no longer knows how to behave to maintain Fred’s interest and the trust that united them, little by little, is falling apart.
Far from all Manichaeism, Slalom has nothing of the moralizing film that a certain informative feminist activism might expect; on the contrary, he excels in his way of dealing with the gray area of human relations. And this, thanks in part to the actor Jérémie Renier – one of the most subtle of his generation – in the role of this trainer who loses all control and is aware of it.
Where Charlène Favier, on the other hand, goes completely astray, is in his choice to dwell on the sexual relationship of his characters in the last third of the film, thus making himself guilty with regard to his actors of the same genre. of fault that Fred with regard to Lyz …
Finally, for a film that deals with the world of skiing, we regret that Charlène Favier took so little advantage of the opportunity to create beautiful images of training and other competitions.
3 out of 5 stars
