Des garçons de province (French) [Smalltown Boys)

Moving away from the usual gay portrayal and life in big cities, the film maker here uses the rural areas of French countryside to tell an atmospheric three-part tale about the solitude experienced by gay youngsters during the long, slow days spent in communities deep in the provinces. All three of them give the same sense of desertification and of time spent waiting somewhat aimlessly, with no hope of daily life ever changing. The film is a combination of three different stories or snippets, which I didn't know before I started watching the film and left me confused to some extent, when I noticed a sudden shift in tone after the first story had finished. (By the way: this poster, just doesn't represent the spirit of the film at all. I wish there were some better ones, but I couldn't find any)

A small colorful, joyous group of dancers (various eccentric gay men) arrive in a very small town for an evening show. One of the members in the petite Twink Jonas, who is also the lead dancer. They are invited by a club owner, on top of which lives this supposedly happy gay couple. Youssef, the black guy from the couple is bored of the small town life and this troupe and their sassiness intrigues him. Jonas and Yousef are almost drawn to each other but also everyone knows that the troupe is gonna leave the next day and the gay couple will remain back in the town with Yousef left with hope that one day he will get to leave the town. In another part of town, a great amount of time is spent in following a young adult teenager who is waiting for his admission results to embark on his new journey. We follow him leisurely strolling in the town in heels, getting looks but he doesn't care. He is also trying to avoid his close friend with benefits, who is alone and horny and wants sex but our by avoids him since he knows its just physical and nothing more and he has had enough. The this part takes us Ian other area to show as in intriguing meeting between another young boy and a 50 something older guy, who is a teacher and a photographer. The boy thinks that photography was just an excuse of hookup but the old man doesn't want sex. He just takes many many nude and semi-nude pictures of the boy. Our boy is fascinated by this old man and ends up spending a day and a night with him and but quickly realizes that there is something off in the old man, even though he is extremely charming. He find out multiple pictures and videos of boys of several ages which probably excite the old man, and he just leaves his house disgusted at the old man.

The director's attempt at showing three distinct situations which may seem different are all actually identical when it comes to matter of heart. The loneliness and solitude here in these stories is captured very interestingly. You almost feel for the protagonists. The director portrays, in delicate touches, various ways of living as a homosexual, in places where it is possible, or sometimes unthinkable, but always steering clear of the usual drama and clichés of the genre. So many paths to take and decisions to make for these provincial boys but with a pool of very limited choices. I have mixed feelings about the film. As much as it brings alive my fear of getting stuck in a small town as probably the only one of one of a handful of gays anywhere, if I was in place of any of these protagonists, I wouldn't know what to do. In the first story, you feel how desperate Yousef is to get out of the town and go somewhere. He is even willing to sacrifice his love but the loneliness and boredom is just killing him. And then looking at the second story, gosh the boy had guts to stroll around the town in heels, well aware of getting the stares but he's got balls and I loved that about him. Nobody can't give him bullshit and he has his eyes on getting his results and getting out of there. The third story was equally interesting because you see two different perspectives of loneliness and solitude: we have a young charming teen whom everyone wants and then an older painter guy, who has probably learned to live in a life and has a routine but occasionally still seeks fun. Overall the film is an interesting insight into what gay rural life could be. It does get very slow at many places (especially the second story) but we, as audience are just watching someone's life pass by us. The actors are all very cute and charming here and at least you get some good eye candy in the process. (6/10)