Racer and the Jailbird (2017)

Set against the background of a brutal crime gang in Brussels, a tragic love story between Gigi, a high-flying gangster, and Bibi, a young racing driver with very upper-class roots.

Director:

Michaël R. Roskam

Writers:

Thomas Bidegain, Noé Debré

Stars:

Matthias Schoenaerts, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Eric De Staercke

7 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Matthias Schoenaerts	...	Gigi Vanoirbeek
Adèle Exarchopoulos	...	Bibi Delhany
Eric De Staercke	...	Freddy Delhany
Jean-Benoît Ugeux	...	Serge Flamand
Nabil Missoumi	...	Younes Bouhkris
Thomas Coumans	...	Bernard 'Nardo' Delhany
Nathalie Van Tongelen	...	Sandra
Fabien Magry	...	Eric Lejeune
Sam Louwyck	...	Prison manager
Stefaan Degand	...	Bank manager
Kerem Can	...	Bezne
Serge Riaboukine	...	Monsieur Assa
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Aïcha Cissé	...	Female police officer 2
Frédéric Clou	...	L'inspecteur
Vincenzo De Jonghe	...	Police Officer 1

Storyline

When Gino meets racing driver Bénédicte, it's love at first sight. Passionate. Unconditional. Fiery. But Gino hides has a secret. The kind of secret that can endanger your life and the lives of those ones around you. Gino and Bénédicte will have to fight against fate, reason and their own weaknesses to save their love.

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Plot Keywords:

racecar driver | sex scene | female police officer | loss of girlfriend | long take | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some strong sexuality, nudity, violence, and for language

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is the first Belgian film for both Matthias Schoenaerts and Michaël R. Roskam since Rundskop (2011).

User Reviews

What attracts is also what tears apart

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.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

Belgium France Netherlands

Language:

Dutch French

Release Date:

4 May 2018 (USA)

Also Known As:

Racer and the Jailbird

Filming Locations:

Circuit Zolder, Heusden-Zolder, Belgium

Box Office

Budget:

EUR8,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,513, 6 May 2018

Gross USA:

$46,337

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$400,026

Company Credits

Production Co:

Savage Film, Stone Angels, Kaap Holland Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

130 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1