Film Review: The Racer An The Jailbird Is Two Films In One
SYNOPSIS: As a member of a notorious Brussels gang renowned for their expertly-executed robberies, Gigi (frequent Roskam collaborator Matthias Schoenaerts, The Danish Girl, Red Sparrow), tends to his front, a luxury automobile import-export business, in his downtime. Sparks fly when he meets glamorous and affluent race car drive Bibi (Adèle Exarchopoulos, Blue is the Warmest Color), and despite their wildly different backgrounds, the pair fall instantly and tragically in love. While Gigi attempts to break away from his illicit history, two things stand in the couple’s way to a happy life together: an unrelenting mob hungry for another heist, and the cops that are closing in on them.
The Racer And The Jailbird feels like two movies in one. The first is a romantic, “heist” film where two opposites attract, while the other is a crime-drama film. It is the romantic aspect that saves The Racer And The Jailbird, and it is the crime drama that flips it.
The chemistry between Matthias Schoenaerts (Gigi) and Adele Exarchopoulos (Bibi) could melt a laptop screen. They both have this ripe blend of beauty and bitterness. Bibi is a gorgeous racer; accustomed to a lavish lifestyle but seeking a more adrenalized one. Meanwhile, Gigi is that “rough and tumble” jailbird who never knew an easy situation or a good outcome. These two opposite characters are a perfect fit, in part, because their actors play them to perfection. You can, genuinely, see why Bibi and Gigi fall in love. Yet, it is when they get into trouble that you feel a little put off by the film.
Directed by Michaël R. Roskam, in some ways, I liked his creative wrench into what, otherwise, would have been a sexy, noir film. The Racer And Jailbird has all the elements of a pulp classic, aesthetically, and, at times, story-wise. Watching Bibi, Gigi, and his childhood friends pull off robberies together, definitely, gives you that “Fast & Furious” kick/ “Gone In Sixty Seconds” vibe. Yet, there are consequences to those actions that are not always portrayed. Rarely, do the most exciting heist films end or depict a protagonist in jail. On the contrary, heist films begin with them leaving prison to successfully “return to the game”. Thus, when Gigi gets caught in a heist and tossed in jail, you are left wondering…… What now?
The film’s French name Le Fidèle says it all: “The Faithful”; with the latter half of the film transitioning The Racer And The Jailbird from a tale about love’s ignition to the difficulties of fidelity during heart-breaking situations. What was once a high-octane romance becomes a prisoned one and feels too real and sad. The once exuberant Bibi rightfully suffers from depression as Gigi begins to confront further his childhood traumas and addiction to “fast-paced” crimes. Admittedly, I do not think the second half is bad, at all. It simply changes the whole dynamic of the fiIm, what you expected from it, and what you have seen from films like it. In some ways, I believe it a bold choice that will leave audiences’s divided, but can be admired for its intent.
“Heist” romantic films are driven by fantasy, and the “poor man’s” delusion of taking back/ robbing the richer man of all he has taken from the 99%. We loves those films because, in some ways, we wish they were real. Yet, The Racer And The Jailbird gives us a fantastical beginning to lead us into a rawer ending that some will appreciate, while others will say, “NOOOOO!!! I want Bibi and Gigi to live happily ever after with all the stuff they stole, and NEVER SUFFER!” Again, Roksam makes a bold choice that I respect, but I still wanted my fantasy, “we always win” romance (lol!). Watch The Racer And The Jailbird In Select NYC and LA Theaters .
