User reviews

Gigi and Bibi. It sounds like two cartoon characters, but in fact they are the nicknames of Gino and Bénédicte, the two leads in Michael R. Roskam's new movie 'Le Fidèle'.

Already in the first five minutes of the film, Gigi and Bibi fall in love. This love affair is the main theme of the film. It's not an easy affair, since Bibi is the daughter of a wealthy business man, who supports her race car driving career, while Gigi doesn't have any relatives and earns a living by robbing banks and cash transit vans.

At first, Gigi hides his real occupation and pretends to be a car salesman. When he no longer can hide the truth, he is quick to point out that they both have a lot in common, in spite of their different backgrounds. He likes the risk-taking and the danger that comes with his job, exactly as she does with hers.

For Belgian moviegoers, the film has an extra appeal. Roskam has based his story on the lives of a well-known gang of criminals, who were household names in the 1990's. They captured the attention of the media and the public at large, because they combined extremely audacious and violent robberies with a glamorous lifestyle.

Roskam shows in this movie how such brutal criminals could at the same time be loving husbands and friends. Gigi loves Bibi, and he is extremely loyal to his criminal friends, but he has no respect for the feelings of his victims. Matthias Schoenaerts plays this complex character very convincingly, and Adèle Exarchopoulos is quite effective as the slightly naive girl whose love for Gigi is unconditional.

The last part of the film is different from the rest. The love affair, having been firmly established, is no longer the central theme. Instead, we see a quick succession of increasingly dramatic events, which sometimes feels a bit exaggerated. But the beautiful end scene compensates for this. This long take is technically simple, but very clever and creative from a cinematographic point of view. And the very last shot even more so. It's these kinds of scenes that show how original a film maker Roskam can be.

The first hour was entertaining. The second wasn't. I already had some difficulties with plot choices in the first half, but the suspense was there to keep the plot moving and the chemistry between Gigi and Bibi was intriguing enough. In the second half I find some plot choices too ridiculous and it made me loose my interest in the way the characters handle them somewhat. The sense of time also becomes kind of weird. A lot of very dramatic events are packed into that last hour, but the intensity or heaviness of them doesn't seem to come across the way it should.

I loved Karatzanis' photography and the sound design as well.

This movie is definitelty worth the watch. I think it deserves it's rating on here at the time of this review (6.3).

Well ... It's a very well made film, with a great cast, lead and supporting; it does have a few less than believable aspects to the plot I must say. But the first part is sort of the car racing + heist film you were promised.

Anyway, yeah, the first part is fine - plenty of chemistry between Gigi and Bibi, lots of action, it looks like it's going somewhere ... and then where it goes is rather dark. And then from there, it turns utterly bleak. Forlorn, sad, depressing; you name it. I felt like there was a dark cloud hanging over me afterwards, and I'm surprised my dreams that night weren't darker than they were. I generally like noir, but this was a bit much for me. Some people have a higher tolerance for that sort of thing than I do though. C'est la vie.

Wait, I don't say that's not a good movie. No, only it did not reach the point I expected, especially after the trailer watching. This is a melodrama, not a crime film; or may I say a melodrama with some crime accents. You have here one of the best armored truck heist sequences ever. I don't remember a better scene since LE PACHA, back in 1968. It is a must see. For the rest, it is a pure melodrama in the line of Arthur Hiller's LOVE STORY or BOOBY DEERFIELD ( still around car races !!!). This movie is too long for my taste, but performances are amazing, as the directing. A strange film, indeed. Interesting but not what I waited for. Many things unexplained, especially the ending.

Taking risks makes some feel alive. Both Bibi and Gigi, a racecar driver and sophisticated thief, are the type. True to nature, they fall for each other on first sight and quickly dispense with the formalities. "Do not bring flowers," says Bibi. Not that she needed to warn him. Bibi and Gigi share a danger addiction. Distance feeds their adrenaline, and attraction. "Do not lie to me," warns Bibi, yet she cannot get enough of it. What attracts is also what tears apart. The poor one among them who fails to keep pace with the other, or who runs too far away! Please, I thought at the start, do not let Bibi rescue Gigi in a car at any point during the film. The more the premise of the film and the nature of the characters is revealed, the less one needs to worry about this. The Bibi/Gigi chemistry is palpable. The best part of the film is the tension between the main characters, waiting to see who is going to crack first. Matthias Schoenaerts (Gigi) is reunited with the director of Bullhead. Bullhead is darkly amazing, and it is where Schoenaerts achieved well deserved notoriety, but the duo did not repeat the magic here. More depth is needed to the plot, supporting characters, sound and cinematography. Seen at the Miami Film Festival.

This movie completely lacks cohesion and I'm in agreement with a couple of other reviewers here who have said it's a shambles. Roskam worked magic with the marvellous Matthias Schoenaerts (who tried his damndest to make this work) in Bullhead and The Drop, but frankly this just failed. It sprawled itself over three "acts", the first of which was quite exciting and showed promise but that's where it stopped. The two hours plus running time felt like five.

Very good Belgian romantic drama about a couple that, despite loving each other deeply, have a bad fate and are very different: he is a great robber (who does not have the best relationship with dogs) and she is a rich car racer (her background is less important than his in the film). Acting is excelent (Matthias Schoenaerts and Adèle Exarchopoulos also do work well together), script is quite good and it is very well directed. However, the very depressing end, while not being bad, it is clearly below the excellent level of most of the movie development.

Love story between a crime gang member (Matthias Schoenaerts) and a younger upper-class girl (Adèle Exarchopoulos) who happens to be a racing driver.

It's essentially a drama with a little action, with the enjoyment largely depending on how much you care about its leads, who have made name for themselves in mostly French (language) movies.

"Le Fidèle" essentially echoes the "Romeo and Juliet" story where the two star-crossed people are divided by background but try to overcome their differences in the name of love.

The story is too shallow and straightforward to make a lasting impression but the charm of its stars just might - although the girl can become a bit annoying with her tendency to hold her mouth open like she was a young. early 2000's Angelina Jolie.

The international English title highlights one of them being a racedriver - the girl, in fact. Estonian title, "Võidusõitja ja võllaroog", is a direct translation from that, with a nice old-fashined choice of words to make it stand out a bit more.

But the original title meaning "loyal" or "faithful" is much better because:

(a) it closely follows the plot and tone, whereas the new titles makes one think of old French action comedies starring Jean-Paul Belmondo or something,

and (b) driving is actually a minor and essentially unimportant part of the experience. There's not even a standout car chase which would make sense in a story about criminal and a race driver

Actually, there's not much to say about the whole thing, especially if one tries to avoid spoilers. The general tone is dark, the stars are handsome and good enough actors to make the most of the material.

They have enough chemistry between them to generate some suspense but not enough to make the movie truly worthwhile.

"Le Fidèle" was Belgium's bet to bag a best foreign language movie Oscar this year but didn't make it among the five finalists to get nominated.

I paid 1 euro to see this film. Still too much money.

The first third of the movie is promising. There are impressive scenes and stunts. A twist I didn't see coming in the shape of a character who was not at all what she seemed. It's (mostly) engaging as it works towards a climax. After that, the story is as stagnant as the lives of the main characters.

Where at first I was waiting for the female lead to come to her senses, as the movie progresses it becomes clear neither of the lead characters have any sense. They are two-dimensional and boring. Cliché is heaped upon cliché to propel the story forward. Except it doesn't, it just turns the movie into a weird mix of crime- and melodrama with a whiff of kitchen sink realism.

It seems like the filmmaker wanted to tell a story of obsessional love. But since there is no substance to the relationship of the couple the entire movie revolves around, there is no substance to the film. Every sex scene (supposedly to show their passion for each other) consists of Schoenaerts mechanically drilling his much younger co-star. They have nothing to talk about and the sex only gets him off. How is that any motivation for the girl to turn herself into a self-sacrificing saint? How is that guy worth her or my time? (And did the women's lib movement skip Belgium?)

Another theme in the movie is the tragic, abusive background of Schoenaerts' character. How he himself can't explain his own actions. It all reeks of literary movements like determinism and naturalism. As if he can't help it, it's his background that turned him into a criminal. It could have been excellent material to flesh out a character. Instead it just leads to Schoenaerts making the same face over and over again. If you're going to make a movie about dynamic characters robbing banks and racing cars maybe next time don't mix it with a tale of pre-determined fate that has people stuck like a hamster in a wheel. One pretty much cancels out the other.

The movie looks much better than most movies that come out of the Netherlands (good for you, Belgium). There were definitely people involved who knew what they were doing in terms of the look of the movie, the action sequences, the locations, the way the camera is handled. But ultimately this is a crap story that wastes the talent of its cast and crew.

This movie turns a lot of feelings and thats why imo it gets such different ratings. But overall this is a must see if you like good movies.

So boring it hurts! Nothing's worse than a artsy-fartsy crime film! There are better films to watch, trust me.

Oh my gosh, I just watched this film, and I am truly blown away--this film is a masterpiece. Truly a work of art, and like some of the best films of all time, I have found myself not being able to stop thinking about it for days after watching it.

Where do I begin? The film itself is probably a drama, but the bank heist scenes are insane. I have never said this about another film in my life, but this film is the first film I would compare to my favorite film of all time, Heat. This is a different film--that is probably why it has not received as much attention, that and its poorly chosen US title. The biggest difference is this film is set in Europe, and it is more of a drama.

The cinematography and filmmaking displayed in this film are simply fantastic. And of course the acting is phenomenal, especially of course from the two lead roles. I am sure everyone is well aware of their impressive resumes, so there is no need for me to regurgitate that info, but I cannot write a review of this film without mentioning the impressive acting. Both the lead actor and actress are two of the best in the world right now, literally, and both at the peak of their careers.

If you are even considering watching this film, just try it, and trust me, just watch it--you will be blown away.

Absolute peach of love story. A thief that love like a thief, he actually stole Bibi's heart. Both Gigi and Bibi never let go each other .

If you are trying to find the love story that telling way that in unique way this is your cup of tea.

Racer and the Jailbird is an absolutely infuriating film. It started off quite well, it's nicely shot and looks good, has good sound design, and the beginnings of a quite compelling plot. What's more the leads are brilliant, Adèle Exarchopoulos especially so (even when her character's arc begins to devolve). But of course, it doesn't last. Towards the end of the first chapter what had the potential to be quite an interesting plot point about Gigi's relationship with Bibi and robbery (maybe the cartoonish names should have been a warning) turns into just another "one last job"and things start steadily deteriorating. But the film still holds the potential to just be a simple fun melodrama, or maybe even to subvert cliche. But no, in what must have been a misguided attempt to do the latter, the film devolves into a gritty overwrought mess. It really is quite terrible.

I don't mean that in a good way. The premise of the story is simple but the writer tries to make it more interesting than it is by making it unrealistically tragic and leaving you trying to figure out what the film was trying to do. A love story with unnecessary addons to over complicate the film.

Although the movie has racing and robbing in it, that is obviously not what the movie is about. As the title implies, this film is all about the relationship of two people who happen to be a racer and a jailbird. The film is divided into three acts, all of which are completely compatible with one another, and absolutely relevant to the subject of the story. Ignore the critics who claim this film is a mess. They simply don't understand that this movie is ultimately about what that particular relationship can and cannot endure.

Also ignore the criticisms that this film is boring or tedious. There is always something happening, developing, or being revealed, whether it is a heist, a relationship, or some predicament. This is precisely why I imagine the film was disorientating for some people.

Anyways, after seeing the trailer recently, I knew I would enjoy this movie. The dude from Bullhead (2011), the chick from Blue Is the Warmest Color (2013), heists, racing, what more could one ask for?

There are no words to express my frustration and deception about this movie that counts more stereotypes than a Disney production for adults. Adèle can't save this wreck all ny herself. She tried her best but it was hopeless. A final word about Matthias Schornhaerts: this guy belongs to these ""actors"" who think they can act simply 'cause they can cry or be angry on demand. Problem is : he cries like an old lady and is angry like a famous gaming bird. His performance is so low that every single characteristic of the figure he's supposed to play appears both ridiculous and inconsistent.

Very disappointing movie, horrible casting and very poor dialogue

Where's the chemistry between the two leads? I gave this 20 minutes to get going, but there was nothing to draw me in. The two leads seemed more like distant cousins than lovebirds.

One of the best true love stories I've ever seen written and directed on the big screen. Probably one of the saddest movies I've ever seen. A love like this only comes around once in a lifetime if you're lucky. A nicely told story and great acting. The actors really make you feel the pain of true love.

An annoying movie. I really couldn't relate to the characters and the downward spiral is just depressing.

The story and characters are incongruent and completely irrational.

Cinematic styling is slick but fails to support this jumbled mess.

Watch if you want to escape happiness and reason.