Ricky (2009)

Katie (Alexandra Lamy) is a single mother living in France with her seven-year-old daughter Lisa (Mélusine Mayance), in a small one-bedroom flat. Struggling to make ends meet, she sleeps on a pull-out couch in the living room.

When she meets a Spaniard named Paco (Sergi López) at work, the two of them hit it off, and it isn’t long before he moves in.

And it isn’t long after that before she is pregnant. She gives birth to a baby boy and they name him Ricky (Arthur Peyret). He is put in Lisa’s room with her, as there isn’t anywhere else for him to go.

Ricky is a very difficult child, spending most of the day and night crying. No matter what Katie tries, she can’t seem to settle him.

One day, she has gone back to work and left Ricky home alone with Paco. When she returns home that night, while giving Ricky his bath, she notices what seems to be a bruise on one of his shoulder blades.

She confronts Paco about this, but he says he doesn’t know anything about it.

When she notices later that night that Ricky’s other shoulder blade has the same kind of bruise-like marking, she accuses Paco of abusing Ricky, and Paco leaves.

Katie now finds herself caring for Ricky (almost) alone, of course Lisa helps as much as she is able to.

But over time, the markings on Ricky’s shoulders change. I could go into a lot more detail here about the process, and how it all plays out, but essentially, Ricky grows a pair of wings. Yes, you read that right: a pair of wings.

It isn’t long before he is noticed by other people, and a media frenzy ensues, as everyone wants to get a glimpse of this flying baby.

The script (by director François Ozon, based on the novel “Moth” by Rose Tremaine) is incredibly inventive, but at the same time, very realistic and grounded. The reactions of the various characters (including Ricky) are as you would expect, and the gritty, hyper-realistic nature of life in lower-middle-class France is ever present.

All the actors are incredible in their various roles. In particular, young Mélusine Mayance gives a performance that is well beyond her years.

The score (by Philippe Rombi) is simple in its structure and execution, but nonetheless brilliant. Most of the music is simply played on a piano, with the occasional string instrument thrown in from time to time. That being said, there is not a lot of music in this film, but that works well; it doesn’t feel like the film is oversaturated with music, as is the case in some films.

Special mention needs to be made of the special makeup effects, designed by Christophe Chabenet. The incredibly realistic nature of the prosthetics that Peyret wears as Ricky ground the story in reality, despite the fact that this film is filled with a sense of magic realism.

Despite this film’s relatively short running time (just under 90 minutes, which in fact is about average for a French film), there is a lot to digest in here, and a lot that one can take away and think about.

Director François Ozon has created a truly beautiful piece of cinematic art, one that will surely entertain audiences for many years to come.

8 out of 10.