What is it about older male coaches of younger female athletes that seems to lead so often to sexual abuse? Is it situational? Is it so-called “power dynamics?” Do predatory men deliberately enter this realm, or are they good coaches but bad people who exploit because they can?
In the current documentary Groomed, the director told her own story of how her swim coach worked his way from casual confidant to serial sexual abuser in a gradual, seductive way. But as we’ve learned in the #MeToo era, there are many different roads that lead to the same ugly destination.
In the unflinching and engrossing new film Slalom, the setting is competitive skiing in the French Alps. Noée Abita plays Lyz, a promising skier who might just be Olympic caliber with the right kind of direction and discipline. She, at 15, starts training with a demanding, less than charming coach, Fred (Jérémie Renier), and we see how the dominos begin to fall almost from the beginning.
In quite literal ways, Fred is in charge of Lyz’s body. He touches at will, he asks personal questions, he has her strip to her underwear for weight and caliper measurements. In other words, he does as he pleases, all under the pretense of his coaching duties.
When the moment of the first assault comes, it seems both shockingly sudden and predestined by all the other physically intimate stepping stones that have preceded it.
Director/writer, Charlène Favier, knows this world of high level skiing and while not explicitly autobiographical, the narrative certainly benefits from her insider perspective. The film was a Cannes selection and boasts top shelf tech and art from a production standpoint.
It isn’t always easy to watch, but ultimately there is reason for Lyz to be hopeful, which provides catharsis to the viewer, as well.
Slalom is currently available on Kino Marquee and select cinemas | 3 out of 4 Stars| Reviewed by Kyle Osborne
