Slalom

Married skiing coach and a 15 yo teen student story. Coach has high hope on the teen and can't resist her charm. Sex is sex, go and find others outside but not screw his own goal. So simple concept. This part didn't logical n add up. Film is not bad just hard for me the buy the storyline.

Lyz Lopez is 15 years old. She has started studying at a boarding school. The students have some things in common. They are all promising young skiers. And yes, in addition to the usual studies, they also practice skiing. Fred, the skiing coach, is a former skiing champion. He sees huge potential in Lyz. Therefore, he gives her much more attention than the other students. But the road to becoming a professional skier turns out to be tough. How far is Lyz willing to go to succeed? Does she have what it takes?

I´m not a parent now. But I´m an aunt. I think that an adult should care about what the child needs and wants. I think that I care about that. And I also think that Lyz is searching after a father figure. Where is her biological father? And her mother´s parenting is, in my honest opinion, quite sloppy. Does she really care about her daughter´s well-being? And Fred seems to be living his own skiing dream through Lyz. Why, Fred? Why? Help me understand you.

I missed more clarity and girl power in "Slalom". I´m not sure who I would recommend this movie to. Maybe for those who love skiing?

This film can easily be considered as a sport movie, but with many other elements involved in it, not only training and performances. This is mostly the relationship between a coach and his teen athlete whom he is in charge of. Good character study, very smart, intelligent and accurate. Acting and directing flawless, especially Jeremy Renier, excellent in this role. There were not so many movies in the French film industry speaking of skiing. In the USA you had DOWNHILL RACER, the most famous, but in France, I don't see another feature. That doesn't mean there is not any...Simple scheme, already told before, but here brilliantly done, I repeat. Could also have been made as a short movie; but it is of course better as a long length. And as a first picture, it is very promising. A female director to follow.

It seems to me that the approach on the subject was an excellent decision, the way the story shows you moments that could make us think in one way and then others that destabilize the ideas already formed. What I enjoyed the most was the direction! As at many times it was fierce, elegant, bold and captivating.

If you read the synopsis of this movie, it is really easy to write it off as another #metoo tale, but it actually a pretty singular story and more complex than that. The coach (Jeremie Renier) is certainly abusive, but he is not a one-dimensional predator. He seems genuinely focused on being a coach and is not simply "grooming" the teenage protagonist (Noee Abita). It is perfectly acceptable for elite coaches of underage athletes to be physically and emotionally abusive--he just takes it a step farther and is sexually abusive as well. The teenager is certainly confused and traumatized by what is happening, but still remains in the orbit of this charismatic authority figure. I won't spoil the ending, but it will frustrate those expecting a morally unambiguous #metoo message. This movie actually reminded of the recent American film "Diary of a Teenage Girl" in that it refuses to impose a clear moral on the narrative, but leaves it to the viewer to draw their own.

I find most of these movies a little hypocritical since they always seem find an incredibly attractive 20-year-old to play the "teenager" and an incredibly attractive 35 year old to play the older predator, and French movies always seem to add some teenage (or rather "teenage") nudity. But both actors are excellent and quite believable as elite athletes. The sex scenes are both hot (because of the actors involved) and troubling (because of the story) at the same time, so you just have to deal with that. The skiing scenes are simply wonderful , and its a very beautiful looking movie. You can decide for yourself what the moral is.