Hot-tempered and fiercely independent, Julia (Julie Ledru) is a gearhead who thrives in hostile environments and turns every situation to her advantage. She has a talent for scamming condescending men who think it’s cute that she shows interest in their used motorbikes–and can’t fathom her riding away with gleeful abandon. Her obsession with the high-octane world of urban ‘Rodeos’ – illicit gatherings where riders show off their bikes and latest daring stunts – sparks a chance meeting with a volatile clique. Julia strives to prove herself to the ultra-masculine gang by performing cons and running errands for their incarcerated ring leader, Dom. She finds a surprising connection with Dom’s wife, Ophélie (Antonia Buresi) and son, a risky move that puts a target on her back. Julia is unsure who she can trust as the ultimate heist comes down the pike.

For in-depth thoughts on Rodeo, please see my colleague Cody Allen’s review from its original theatrical release here.

Video Quality

Rodeo comes to Blu-Ray in a 1080p presentation featuring its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio which brings this material to life quite well. This is a visually distinct film which gives its digital photography a 16mm pass that simulates the appearance of film grain. While the textural gains are not in line with what you get from organic film, the aesthetic does benefit the narrative in a real way. The transfer maintains a consistent look where subtle elements of the clothing and production design are able to come through.

The film has few splashes of colors as the world feels more dour in its existence outside of a few visual high points. The overall color grade leans a touch cool which the presentation represents accurately. The highlights are handled beautifully, along with the deep blacks that do not appear to suffer from any compression artifacts and only a small amount of banding. The skin tones look very detailed and natural all around. This presentation is a really good effort from Music Box Films.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with both a DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio track in the original French that brings this world to rich life. The sound design is surprisingly complex with all elements positioned just right in the mix. The environmental effects spring to life when it comes to the roar of these engines racing by for a three-dimensional soundscape. This is not an action-heavy film in the traditional sense, but activity in the low end is formidable. The film uses music effectively which fills the room with a good fidelity. Dialogue comes through clearly without ever being overshadowed by the sound effects or the score. This is a grand release that brings the movie to life in a remarkable way. There are optional English subtitles provided.

Special Features

Isolated Music and Sound Design Track: An option to watch the film with only the music and sound effects audible in DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio.

Interview with Lola Quivoron: An eight-minute interview with the director at The American French Film Festival in which she discusses the inspiration for the narrative, spending time with the riding community, the journey of her main character, how she wanted to maintain authenticity and more.

TAFFF Talk: A nine-minute conversation with director Lola Quivoron and actress Antonia Buresi in which they discuss getting involved with the community and project as a whole, their journey together, crafting this story, how this builds upon their previous films, filming on the bikes and more.

Bikelife On The Red Carpet: A nearly 15-minute piece in which you get a closer look at the real-life motocross riders and the filmmakers at the Cannes Film Festival including a mixture of candid footage and interviews about the film. It is really fun to see these individuals get their time to shine on the red carpet.

Dirt Bike Ballet – Extended Rodeo Stunts: A six-minute look at some more of the stunt riding that did not make it into the movie.

Dreaming of Baltimore – A Short Film by Lola Quivoron: A 26-minute short film is provided here which once again features a character enamored with the motorbike life and how it impacts them when that is taken away.

“Androgyne” Music Video: A five-minute music video is provided here.

Theatrical Trailer: The two-minute trailer is provided here.

Photo Gallery: A collection of stills from the film are provided here.

Final Thoughts

Rodeo is a well realized dive into a compelling subculture from director Lola Quivoron. The film knows how to ratchet up the thrills, and the central performance from Julie Ledru is one of the best “non-actor” performances we have seen. The narrative does occasionally struggle to maintain the balance between its arthouse character reflection and the ambitious kinetic set pieces, allowing for a bit of tonal whiplash with some plot beats. Nevertheless, the film is very good and leaves you wanting more from this talented filmmaker. Music Box Films has released a Blu-Ray featuring a strong A/V presentation and a great assortment of special features. If the subject matter piques your interest, be sure to give this one a shot. Recommended

Rodeo is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Music Box Films Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.