Rodeo
Directed by Lola Quivoron
Screenplay by Lola Quivoron and Antonia Buresi
Starring Julie Ledru, Yannis Lafki, and Antonia Buresi
Runtime: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Available digitally April 18

by Ashley Jane Davis, Staff Writer

It’s tough being a woman sometimes. Well… maybe every single day? But I’m talking even when it comes to things that should be fun, like participating in personal interests. I have yet to find a music store in this gigantic city I live in that gives me the same time or consideration as any dude that comes in. One time, I went to buy vacuum tubes for my guitar amp and as I was browsing, the salesman shuffled over like a goofy uncle and chuckled, “Uh oh, need help picking out a gift for your boyfriend?” NO. I don’t have a damn boyfriend and I don’t have time for your shit. I really feel for Julia (Julie Ledru), the main character (and total badass) of the French film, Rodeo.

We don’t know a lot of details about Julia’s precarious life in the suburbs of Paris, besides meeting her brother, and discovering that her mom has changed the locks to keep her out. It’s fitting that her nickname is Stranger. But right from the beginning we learn what passion drives her. Really, it’s not fair to compare my adventures in AX7 tubes to Julia’s relationship with motocross bikes. Riding is an extension of who she is.

When she first shows up to an urban rodeo, the feeling is uncomfortably tense. Miles and miles of guys riding and showing off stunts, with not a woman in sight. As Julia muscles her way in to prove she has just as much right to be there as any of them, the reactions are frustratingly predictable. “A smile for some fuel?” (UGH) “Go sit with the chicks!!” (UGH) She is lambasted with outright anger and harassment. However, she meets one guy, Abra (Dave Nsaman Okebwan), who takes her under his wing. He gives her tips on how to do a trick and amazingly doesn’t want anything in return. Sadly, this possibility of a new friendship is cut short by a tragic accident this very day. There is a crash, the cops raid, Julia’s bike is stolen, and she has nowhere to go.

Julia is reluctantly invited to go with some of the guys back to a garage where they all work on bikes that they fix up and sell for profit. Turns out this is a gang run by a guy named Domino (Sébastien Schroeder) who is in prison. With Abra’s death, there is a sudden vacancy in the crew, and she is determined to fill it. She begins running errands and pulling off cons to earn the trust of the gang, and of Domino. You see, motocross bikes are expensive. But it’s okay. Julia has her own method of… obtaining bikes.

The glee I got from watching Julia scam random guys selling bikes was just …so refreshing. I recognized the look of smug dismissal on their faces – that it was “cute” that she was interested in their big boy bikes. Conversely, I love how the camera captures the look on her face, of absolute freedom as she takes off into the wind, leaving them in her dust. It’s a fleeting freedom, for sure, but that’s kind of what life is. Some viewers may argue that we don’t get enough of a backstory for Julia, but the philosopher in me says that makes total sense. She is truly living moment to moment in a way most of us have never had to understand. 

This movie wears a lot of hats. It’s about survival. It’s about gatekeeping. It’s about making a place for yourself in this gritty world where you don’t meet the expectations. It’s about trust and betrayal. Oh - it’s even a heist flick! But there’s more. This film made me reflect on people who have made an impact on my life but may never know it. All it took was one act of kindness on Abra’s part to deeply affect Julia, even subconsciously. That’s incredibly beautiful.

Taking nothing for granted, she pays it forward by her own acts of kindness (or more…) for Domino’s wife, Ophélie (co-screenwriter Antonia Buresi), and their son, Kylian( Cody Schroeder). This is a part of Julia’s story that really touched me. I get it. She cares and is determined to help them, even though it makes her a target in a dangerous world.

Julia, and all the characters, really, are ones that you cannot identify by simply blurting out a stereotype. Each one lives by their own motivations in a very real way that evolves with each scene. The fact that the cast is largely played by folks who are not professional actors noticeably adds to the raw realness of the film, as it feels as if they are reacting in real time to whatever is going on in the frame, not thinking of their next lines. There is an energy in their interactions that feels very rooted in the present.

I’m very impressed that this is writer and director Lola Quivoron’s first full-length feature film. She is a woman who certainly also knows what it’s like to be trying to carve out a place for herself in the “man’s world” of filmmaking, and she should be proud of what she has created! The editing gives the film an immediate feeling, as if it is playing out in front of us. Many times I was reminded of battle scenes in war films - with the effective jump cuts making me feel uneasy and breathless, as if the bomb could drop at any moment.

 I love this movie, and I really, really love the ending. I wish I had the courage of Julia. Not just for riding dirt bikes with excited abandon (my wife looked very nervous observing my awe at the fantastic riding scenes), but for having the courage to do what was necessary to live the life she really wanted, without stressing about a future that might never come.

Check out Rodeo! I am very excited to see what Lola Quivoron does next.