‘Rodeo’ trailer: Lola Quivoron’s film debut revs up her bike

February 15, 2023

Julie Ledru leads as an adrenaline-obsessed cog in the film, which won the Un Certain Regard jury prize last year.

He cuts through the tracks with an adrenaline-hungry motorcycle stunt ring, and the rest is bloody history.

Director Lola Quivoron’s debut film, “Rodeo,” centers on a drag queen (Julie Ledru) who gets into trouble with a gang of motorcycle-and-bike crooks. Produced by Charles Gillibert (“Bergman Island,” “Annette,” “Personal Shopper”), the film debuted at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Coup de Cœur du Jury special prize.

Distributed by Music Box, the French-language film “Rodeo” will be screened as part of the New York Museum of Motion Picture’s First Look Festival in March before hitting theaters.

According to the official synopsis, Julia (Ledru) is heroically and fiercely independent, a powerhouse who thrives in a hostile environment and turns every situation to her advantage. She has a knack for fooling condescending men who think it’s cute that she’s interested in their used motorbikes and can’t fathom that she rides away with gleeful abandon. His obsession with the high-octane world of urban rodeos, illicit gatherings where riders show off their bikes and the latest daring stunts, sparks a chance encounter with a volatile clique. Julia strives to prove herself to the ultra-masculine gang by running gags and running errands for their imprisoned ringleader, Dom. He finds a surprising connection with Dom’s wife Ophélie (Antonia Buresi) and son, a risky move that puts a target on his back. Julia is unsure who to trust as the ultimate heist comes down the pike.

IndieWire’s Kate Erbland reviewed Rodeo in Cannes, comparing the fast-paced drama to Titane, “Fast and Furious” and “Girlhood” in its raw passion and freedom struggle.

“For all her bristles and fury, Julia has a tenderness — first-time actor Ledru mines an astonishing range of emotions and motivations to play her — that reveals itself at the most inopportune moments,” Erbland wrote. “Rodeo and Julia, the kind of girl who literally spits her hair to shine, layered beneath her sparkle is an intriguing undercurrent of mystique. Is there only death waiting for someone who so blatantly disregards his own life?

Finally, according to the reviewer: “Although Quivoron avoids overplaying the criminal part of the story, there is a growing sense that no one gets out of this alive. But does that matter?”

“Rodeo” premieres March 17 in New York and March 24 in Los Angeles.

Watch the trailer, an IndieWire exclusive, below.

(embed)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5iXef4071U(/embed)