I saw a Belgium movie - CAVALE (2018) - meaning "On the Run"
I have always loved the genre - road movies and coming to age movies have always liked movies directed by women directress.. This movie at least ticks all those criteria
Upon the death of her drug addict mother - a suicidal teenager girl Kathy (Lisa Viance) is forcibly sent to a psychiatric correction center - to share the room with Nabila (Yamina Zaghouani) and Carole .(Noa Pellizart)
Kathy runs away from the ward along with her roommates in search of her estranged father who deserted her mother.
There starts the journey of three girls in a stolen car along the Belgium highways in the rural beautiful countryside.
After a journey of mis-adventures - accidents, hitch-hiking, danger, fun, fights, humour, and long walks through forests Kathy finally tracks her father. To avenge her mother's death and her terrible life - she kidnaps her 6 years old step-brother for a ransom, leaving the police pursuing these girls.
No spoilers here - what happens after that forms the rest of the story
The cameraperson cinematographer turned directress Virginie Gourmel does a fine job on several fronts:
1) perfect casting 2) taking excellent performances from all the main leads 3) keeping an objective distance with her camera 4) capturing the Belgium rural landscape beautifully 5) depicting the psyche of adolescent teenage girls truthfully 6) giving a good psychological look at the traumas of youth who are lost in life. 7) keeping some intriguing loose ends open for audiences to ponder. 8) presenting a hard social critical look on the reality of life
Kudos to the Directress for an excellent full-length feature film debut. She has very well partnered with the writer Micha Wald.
All the three girls have acted very well while depicting totally different personalities and psychological make-up so perfectly. Their faces are fresh and acting is spontaneous.
The winner though is the young boy who plays the step-brother of Kathy. He steals the show with his innocence with trusting eyes towards his kidnapper step-sister Kathy.
The cinematography and music is very good.
The movie has won four nominations at international film festivals It is a good European movie to watch - which has its own pace and ample moments to dig the audience's interests.
Surely it leaves us with a sad dry lump and tears in the eyes in our throat in the end.
I will go with 7 out of 10
