I didn't realize until the very end that this film is based on a book of the same name, a true story about Brendan Behan, an Irish writer and political activist, and his time in a British labor camp. It's pitched as a dreamy, romantic film, and it really only comes alive in the last 20 to 25 minutes, where the emotions run high and it tugs at your heart. For the first half I had no clue where the story was headed, though it did start making sense eventually. Brendan is a 16 year old Irish boy who gets caught trying to smuggle a few sticks of dynamite on board, and he's sent off to Borstal, an underage detention center. That's where he meets Charlie, a sailor who's openly gay and also locked up there. Brendan makes it clear he's not gay, but the two still become really close friends. A lot of the film is about what these two get up to along with a few other boys at Borstal, and how Brendan changes during that time. They try to break out of the place, and it costs...
I remember a few days ago, I saw a French gay musical and liked it a lot. This is another French musical, although this one doesn't really fall in the gay category. This story is a perfect blend of playfulness, joy, sexuality and complete and utter tragedy. . All of this is weaved in through the story and, more importantly, the songs themselves which even though you don't understand the language, you can't help but fall in love with them.Ismael and Julie are a couple. Ismael works a lot in publication with ALice. Instead of being jealous, Julie invites her over for a 3way relationship. Things are going fine betwen the 3 sometimes fun, sometimes jealousy but its all good. Julie seems to accept Alice in the trio to please Ismael, but she wants him to herself and regrets his refusal to have a child. Julie can't take this anymore and one night dies of heart attack. Alice moves out of the aptt because it is the right thing to do and also she wants to get away from Ismael's charm. Ismael is trying to move forward but Julie's sister Jeanne who suffers from survivor guilt keeps showing up in their aptt. To save himself Ismael goes to Alice who is now dating a guy. Though they don't go any further, this new guy's gay brother Erwann conceives a passion for Ismael and begins stalking him. Ismael realizes what Erwann's up to, though, and at first laughs it off and tells him to get lost. But Ismael is lost himself. He can't go back to his aptt because however hard he tries, he just cannot forget Julie. Her memory keeps haunting him. He is lost: doesn't know where he is going or even for his sexuality. Erwann finally convinces him of moving on. While making passionate love Ismael begs to be cleansed of the painful memory of his lost love. As the film ends, he's actually settling into what's become both a romantic and a sexual affair with the determined Erwann--one of those young gay boys who knows early on exactly who he is and what he wants--and begs him, in the film's final line, "Love me less, but love me a long time."
This is a typically powerful French film proving France as a great film making country. I am more and more impressed with French films. The more I watch them, the more I want to watch. Everyone is great in their performances. I loved the family interactions, the love and naughtiness everyone shares in the film. You could feel the pain that Ismael and Julie's family go through after her death. Specially struggle for Ismael after losing Julie and then finding Erwann. This film is just too good. It will make you believe in love, love between 2 people regardless of gender. As I am writing the review, I think I realize I liked this movie even more than I thought I did.
Please watch this one. And please suggest me more good French cinema. (8/10)
Comments
i've been away for a while, but i'm sure gonna note down a few movies while i'm skimming through your blog :))
can i mail you?