Summary15-year-old Lyz (Noée Abita), a high school student in the French Alps, 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 (Jérémie Renier) decides to mold Lyz into his shining star despite her lack of experience. Under his i... Read More
Directed By:Charlène Favier
Written By:Charlène Favier, Antoine Lacomblez, Marie Talon
Slalom
Metascore
Generally Favorable
77
User score
Mixed or Average
5.8
My Score
Drag or tap to give a rating
Hover and click to give a rating
Not available in your country?
ExpressVPN
Get 3 Extra months free
$6.67/mth
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
92% Positive
12 Reviews
12 Reviews
8% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Apr 8, 2021
90
The film is too rich and too human for any kind of categorization. But for all its beauty, it’s also quite an unsettling watch — a delicate, authentic look at the complicated ways in which abuse works.
Jul 2, 2020
83
Charlène Favier’s Slalom is a familiar story of sexual abuse, but one told with such bracing intensity that it snaps across your face like a blast of cold mountain air.
Feb 14, 2021
80
Favier is smart on the mechanics of abuse, and the sobering inevitability of her heroine’s downhill skid.
Feb 11, 2021
80
It’s a recipe for an emotional journey to match the trajectory of the title, but director Charlène Favier’s script, co-written with Antoine Lacomblez and Marie Talon, is as chilly as the permacold of its surroundings, and punctuated by DOP Yann Maritaud’s serene, snowy tableaux.
Apr 8, 2021
70
The writer and director, Charlène Favier, had previous experience as a competitive skier, and she is attentive to the textures of mountainside sports and how abuse plays out in this setting.
Feb 14, 2021
60
The movie finishes on an unresolved chord, as if we have left the story months or years before the actual scandalous denouement. But it is arguably faithful to the mood of messy bewilderment and frustration that governs the ongoing situation.
User score
Mixed or Average
75% Positive
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
25% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
May 28, 2021
7
When a high-strung, emotionally abusive trainer inappropriately seduces a 15-year-old skiing prodigy, the aim of grooming an aspiring champion becomes unexpectedly complicated for the young athlete as she struggles to sort out her feelings and priorities. As a vehicle for addressing an important social issue (especially in the sports world), "Slalom" hits all the right notes (albeit somewhat predictably at times), and it conveys its message in a release with fine acting, excellent skiing footage and beautiful cinematography of the French Alps. However, the film begins running out of steam (and direction) in the final act, with "nuance" being euphemistically passed off as a lack of defined focus. Director Charlene Favier shows much promise as an emerging filmmaker in this debut narrative feature, though, based on this work, it's apparent some refinement is in order for future projects.
Production Company:
- Mille et Une Productions
- Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC)
- Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
- Ciné+
- Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Cinéma
- Jour2Fête
- Panache Productions
- La Compagnie Cinématographique
- Charlie Bus Production
Release Date:Apr 9, 2021
Duration:1 h 32 m
Awards
Lumiere Awards, France
• 1 Win & 4 Nominations
Beijing International Film Festival
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
César Awards, France
• 2 Nominations
