Thursday, October 27, 2011
TEENAGE ANGST 2011/1678
Today's film was Christophe Honeré's
Based on a 17th Century novel about Anne of Cleves, this film sneaks into a French high school and retells the story with teenagers (although the actors are much older and old hands at Honore films).
At the beginning as we join a class size group it is a bit difficult to get one's grounding but then that is the dilemma of a new girl in class. Meeting, fitting in, dealing in teeanage romance with the complication of a teacher who has eyes for her as well.
There is a neat subplot with a trio of gay guys. A lovelorn suitor for the girl. And all played out in a way that keeps our attention fixed on the confusion of adolescence which doesn't end when the adolescent is grown up. The teacher played by Louis Garrel vies with Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet, the student for the girl's hand. A spoiler, no one wins. She is rather fucked up herself.
These two actors were the gay couple in Honeré's wonderful “Les Chansons d’Amour,” which we now own and bring out when we want some mellow romance. It is a musical and there is a song in this film as well.
This is just one of the ways that this film invents new and surprising things. It was good to see and I would be willing to see it again.
That makes it a 4 out of Netflix5. The gay subplot? You will have to see it for yourself.
Labels: films
