Beating Hearts (MA) - 161 minutes

Romeo and Juliet on steroids with a decided twist.

That is what you get when you see one of the most stunning films of the year.

It is a love story steeped in extreme violence and rebellion.

Clotaire is a wild child – a troublemaker – from a working-class family (his father is a dock worker) whose life was always going off the rails.

Jackie is a diligent middle-class student who, tragically, lost her mother in a car accident when she was only young.

Changing schools, Jackie immediately encounters name-calling school dropout Clotaire.

Clotaire, along with his younger brother and a friend, are on hand to meet the school bus when it arrives every morning, readily verbally abusing those on board.

Although she abhors violence, Jackie finds herself drawn to the bad boy and he to her.

The chemistry between them is undeniable. Their first love is passionate and dangerous.

Invariably, he transitions from fighting and petty theft to robbery, impressing a crime boss with his natural instincts and ability to bounce back from a beating.

The path he has chosen is laid out for all to see.

The film is set in Northern France in the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s.

Co-writer and director Gilles Lellouche has cited Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino and West Side Story as influences.

He set out to create a love story against a backdrop of a class struggle.

Jackie’s character transitions from a six-year-old to an adult in her mid-twenties, while Clotaire is first seen running amok as an eight-year-old.

There is innocence and beauty about Jackie at 6, curiosity, spirit and a sharp wit at 15 and a hardened edge at 25.

In contrast, menace, the unhinged and vengeful define Clotaire at ages 8, 17 and 28.

So, Beating Hearts is a coming of age, romantic crime drama with a pulsating soundtrack and many intense, visceral scenes. Production design is a major drawcard.

It is fearsome and unrelenting in its tone. Umpteen twists are introduced, the movie characterised by a series of memorable performances.

Particularly noteworthy is Malik Frikah, who plays Clotaire as a reckless teen and Francois Civil who picks up the role following a 10-year prison stint.

Equally impressive is Mallory Wanecque who, as Jackie, starts to explore life’s possibilities as a mid-teen.

And then it is over to Adele Exarchopoulos who has lived in Jackie’s shoes by her ‘20s, including trying to fool herself that middle class mediocrity is enough.

With no beg pardons, Beating Hearts is the metaphorical train wreck from which you dare not divert your eyes.

It is tough, tortured, terrifying and intoxicating. 

Rated MA, it scores an 8 to 8½ out of 10.