— by RACHEL COYNE —
“Ricky” is a French movie that appears to be suffering from genre identity issues.
It tells the tale of a working-class single mother Katie who meets Paco and falls in love. It’s a romance!
They eventually have a baby boy, named Ricky, who never stops crying and begins to show signs of abuse when mysterious bruises appear on his back and bloodstains show up on his bedding. Naturally, Katie assumes Paco has something to do with this. It’s a family drama!
Ricky apparently has magical, mystical powers that initially alarm his mother, but win the hearts of all the townsfolk. It’s a supernatural fantasy!
But Ricky’s father is greedy and wants to exploit his magical son for his personal gain. It’s an extortion thriller!
The trailer for “Ricky” plays like a puzzle that I’m just too disinterested to bother solving, seeing as everything in it escaped my memory as soon as I watched it. I had to watch the trailer three times just to cobble together this post, and I grew more bored with each viewing. Which — correct me if I’m wrong — is the exact opposite effect a movie trailer is supposed to have.
“Ricky” has played at several film festivals, and will be available on IFC On Demand Dec. 16. A wider theatrical release is planned for some time in 2010.
Follow Rachel Coyne on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TheOpinionatedB.
I really like this article, Rachel.
< Clever story.