The Fall of Sparta [La Chute de Sparte] *** (2018, Lévi Doré, Jonathan St-Armand) – Classic Movie Review 12,679

The super-likeable Canadian drama film 2018 The Fall of Sparta is stylishly filmed and engagingly acted by Lévi Doré as nerdy, wimpy 16-year-old Steeve Simard struggling to negotiate his final year at high school in Quebec.

Director Tristan Dubois’s 2018 The Fall of Sparta [La Chute de Sparte] is an extremely nice, super-likeable Canadian High School drama film, most imaginatively and stylishly filmed. It is one boy’s story, so it all depends on the main actor. Fortunately, it is engagingly acted by Lévi Doré as somewhat nerdy, wimpy, bookish and introverted 16-year-old Steeve Simard, struggling to negotiate his final year at Gaston-Miron High School in Saint-Lambert, Quebec.

In some ways, Steeve’s a bit too smart for comfort. He’s simply cleverer than everyone else, making him a misfit. Perhaps because of this, though so bright and appealing, Steeve only has one friend: Virgile (Jonathan St-Armand).

Struggling to cope with his chilly, aloof, well-off parents (Marianne Farley, Gabriel Sabourin) and his thoughtless, knucklehead peers, he seeks refuge in books and music (‘You’re never alone with a book’). Basically, he’s okay, but most everyone else isn’t. He’s totally out of sync with everyone around him, though he has a clear, cynical view of the world. Left alone to his own devices, he could probably grow up contentedly, unnoticed in his cellar bedroom and the caves he likes to explore. There is, though, a teacher (Amélie Glenn) he likes, and a girl he really likes the look of: Véronique (Lili-Ann De Francesco), but then there’s the slight problem of her aggressive bruiser jock boyfriend Maxime Giroux (Karl Walcott).

So there we have it. Steeve just looks forward to getting through the year as quickly and safely as possible, and the happy prospect of leaving High School, but a totally unexpected incident with the star of the Spartans football team is going to change everything.

It is written by director Tristan Dubois, adapted from the young adult novel by Sébastien ‘Biz’ Fréchette, a member of Loco Locass are a Canadian hip hop group from Quebec formed in 1995. The group defends the role of the French language, and champions Quebec sovereignty. The Fall of Sparta is filmed in French and it explores Quebec quite nicely.

Tristan Dubois’s smart direction deserves much praise, and a quick shout out too to Daniel Villeneuve for the eye-catching cinematography. There’s a marvellous final shot to send you off cheering the movie.

It premiered in March 2018 in Cannes and was released on 1 June 2018.

Running time: 93 minutes. PG.

© Derek Winnert 2023 – Classic Movie Review 12,679

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com