Raoul Taburin

Raoul Taburin (2019), a French comedy adapted from the Jean-Jacques Sempé book, is yours to watch online on iFILM. In the sunny southern village of Saint-Céron, nobody knows bicycles like Raoul — he is the finest bike mechanic for miles. And he has spent his whole life hiding one humiliating secret: he cannot actually ride one.

Benoît Poelvoorde plays Raoul with a fumbling tenderness that makes the lie sympathetic rather than silly. As a boy he tried again and again to master his balance, and fell every time; confessing was no better, since who would believe a bicycle expert who can't pedal? Then photographer Hervé Figougne (Édouard Baer) moves to town, the two become fast friends, and Hervé proposes the perfect shot: Raoul flying down a mountain road on a racing bike. The moment of truth is set.

Director Pierre Godeau crafts a quiet, Sempé-soft little film about a small lie that grows into a whole life, and a friendship honest enough that pretending finally stops working. No noise, just Provençal light, bicycles and a man you can't help rooting for. Stream Raoul Taburin (2019) online on iFILM.