Eastern Boys (2013) User Reviews

A layered love-story with emotional depth

[spaceman88 · 8/10 · 21 April 2014]

I had no expectations going into this film. And the first few minutes made me doubt my choice. But as the slow narrative starts to develop, it sucked me in and kept me captivated until the very end.

A very realistic, raw image of illegal immigrants and a very sensitive story of deception, love and protection.

I won't spoil the story, but if you are not homophobic and if you like movies such as Stephen Frears's "Dirty Pretty Things", this is a great cinematic experience. Hopefully this movie will get a wide enough audience and recognition.

Go watch it with an open mind.

Be Careful what you pick up at a station

[t-dooley-69-386916 · 8/10 · 4 April 2015]

Around the Gare du Norde railway station groups of East European lads gather and seek opportunistic chances for an easy buck. Daniel Muller (Olivier Rabourdin 'Of Gods and Men') is a gay man who is attracted to one of them - he is not sure if they are for rent but approaches Marek and a date is arranged at Muller's apartment. Only when he answers the door he is not prepared for the visitor he gets.

That is the start and what develops goes way beyond what I was expecting. We have quite a few issues being explored here from migrant integration, crime, pay for sex and affairs of the heart. I was at times feeling uncomfortable, angry, concerned and even happy. The main thing is that it is always engaging.

Great performances from all the cast but Olivier Rabourdin was totally convincing and Krill Emelyanov as Marek as the confused yet caring Ukrainian was brilliant. This is for those who enjoy an intelligent gay themed film, but a lot of the issues here are very universal and as such I can highly recommend.

Intense and moving film - Recommended.

[TrevorJD · 8/10 · 9 June 2014]

I saw this at the Sydney Film Festival 2014. The film is engrossing, funny, moving and often very intense. The story concerns an older man, Daniel, who picks up a young male prostitute from Eastern Europe at a train station in France. The young male prostitute, Marek, is there illegally; living with a gang of other illegal Eastern Europeans, mainly young men, who survive through criminal activities, particularly stealing. They of course steal from Daniel at his home, when he gives Marek his address to hook up. The opening half hour that introduces us to the characters at the train station and the scene where Daniel has his property stolen while he is in the house is mesmerizing. As the film progresses, Daniel develops, extraordinarily, a relationship with the young Marek. Through this relationship we develop an understanding of Marek's background and the problems faced with illegal migrants; particularly in regard to being manipulated and susceptible to criminal activity in order to survive, as seen through Marek's relationship with his gang of young men. The performances are very good, particularly from Daniil Vorobyov, who plays 'Boss', the leader of the gang - he makes you believe the magnetism he holds over this group of young men. Recommended.

Patience is required

[bigmystery23 · 7/10 · 5 May 2014]

I had heard some things about the film before I went to see it, otherwise I had no idea what to expect. From the synopsis, there is a minor spoiler. So if you don't think about the synopsis too much, then you will enjoy the first 20 minutes of the film even more. Just an FYI, there are no subtitles when the characters are not speaking French. I don't understand why they did that, but it doesn't harm the movie. A caution to any people interested, the movie does begin slow for the first 10 minutes. Following that is a slow, tense build though, which works well.

What makes this movie excellent is the twists and turns the story takes. You think it's going in one direction, then suddenly it does a 360 without any warning. I know that can be bad at times, but for this movie it's actually executed very well. The acting is great, particularly the main character, the leader of the gang and the female hotel manager (she is very important to the film). One of the most interesting parts of the story is its take on love and trust.

The only issues I have are the technical aspects, such as dark lighting and some odd cinematography.

Overall, I would recommend this film. I'm sorry I can't say a lot about the film because saying one thing would spoil something important about the film.

begins slowly and undergoes a number of tonal shifts

[gregking4 · 7/10 · 22 August 2014]

Illegal immigrants from the former Soviet Union come to major European cities where they eke out an existence as grifters. In this compelling drama from former editor turned director Robin Campillo (The Returned, etc), a group of young former Russian youths linger around the main Paris railway station, looking for potential victims. In particular, they prey on middle aged gay men, using good looking youths to lure the men into a trap. One such victim is Muller (Olivier Rabourdin, from Taken 2, etc), a well dressed businessman who catches the eye of the handsome youth Marek (Kirill Emelyanov). He invites Marek back to his lavishly furnished apartment, but is surprised when a gang of thugs turn up, who party hard while systematically looting the place. And of course Muller can't go to the police, which is what the gang count on. Shortly afterwards, Marek turns up alone, and a relationship begins between the two. Marek tries to keep the relationship a secret from his gang. Eventually Muller develops a more paternal concern for Marek and convinces him to leave the gang and start a new life. Which is when the situation grows more intense and dangerous. An exploration of gay male sexuality, xenophobia, and the immigration problems plaguing Europe in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union, Eastern Boys begins slowly and undergoes a number of tonal shifts. There is an extraordinary sequence in which the gang strips Muller's apartment while throbbing disco music pounds on the soundtrack. But Campillo ratchets up the tension and suspense as the film moves towards its climax, which is quite gripping and claustrophobic. The moderately explicit sex scenes are handled delicately. Campillo uses long takes to develop the narrative tension. The two central performances are also solid. Rabourdin looks like a Gallic Kevin Spacey with his perpetually downbeat and gloomy expression, while Emelyanov is sympathetic as the naive and vulnerable Marek. There is a wonderful chemistry between the pair and the audience cares about their relationship. And Danil Vorobyev is quite menacing and chilling as the gang's psychopathic leader, simply addressed as "boss".

Enticing and Romantic

[a_ga_tha · 9/10 · 4 September 2014]

Most will be familiar with Campillo's work from the TV adaptation of his film The Returned, Eastern Boys shares many of the same qualities of the TV show; a poetic approach to actions that are usually bluntly handled in cinema. Somehow Campillo manages to seamlessly combine several paradoxical elements and genres and still create an elegant and complete film.

The opening scenes are enough to cement the atmosphere of the film, as you are introduced to the eastern boys of the title, hanging around in the Gare du Nord, but it takes an impressive amount of time before their occupation becomes clear, and even then the plot meanders in ways that you may not be expecting.

Olivier Raboudin and newcomer Kirill Emelyanov are exceptional in the central roles, but Daniil Vorobyev is a revelation as the scene stealing psychotic boss, a performance which easily matches Gary Oldman's Stanfield from Leon. These characters and all the supporting roles are skillfully captured with a minimal and subtle script, that highlights Campillo's peculiar and under appreciated talent to bring cold environments to life.

tense and realistic

[pogostiks · 7/10 · 30 May 2014]

This is a very well-told story about a young illegal Ukranian immigrant boy called Marek, who is cruised by a 40-ish gay male at Paris' Gare du Nord train station. This has been a place for men to pick each other up for decades... and has now - at least according to the film - been taken over by bands of illegal immigrants from Eastern Europe.

Daniel makes a date to see Marek the next day, but he gets a lot more than he expected when the entire band shows up and basically takes everything of value. He doesn't dare try to stop them, nor does he call the police afterwards. Strangely enough, however, Malek returns a few days later and they begin to see each other for sex on a regular basis. Little by little, the film becomes a discussion on love, trust and loyalty, not to mention a realistic portrayal of the problems faced by a lot of illegal immigrants trying to eke out a living in Paris through whatever means possible. The film is well paced, although a touch slow at the beginning, and the tension continues to mount until near the end when it becomes almost unbearable. The actors are all fine, especially Olivier Rabourdin as Daniel and Daniil Vorobyov as Boss, the leader of the pack.

The main problem with the film is that it occasionally lacks credibility for some of the characters' motivations. Why doesn't Daniel originally call the cops to report the theft of his things? More important, how does Daniel know where to find Marek when he goes looking for him? This is a major problem as it is not explained at all, and even worse, when Boss returns to Daniel's apartment, the surprise that awaits him makes no sense at all as it would have been impossible to prepare in advance. (I am being vague on purpose here). These are major errors in scriptwriting, but do not really take away from the emotional truths that the film is based upon. So it is a very good little film in its basic premises, but flawed somewhat in its execution. Nevertheless these flaws will not stop people from enjoying it on many levels, and it is definitely worth seeing.

Politically correct need not watch..

[paulcreeden · 9/10 · 2 July 2015]

This is an honest movie about hard subjects. It is not meant to please the politically correct. It is also not a gay movie. It is much deeper than a portrayal of one sexual lifestyle.

I see it, on one level, as an allegory about migration and economic power. Whether or not it was intended to be this seems irrelevant to me. But, I also appreciated its honest portrayal of hustling as it relates to age and isolation in gay male culture.

The choice to make Daniel, the middle aged gay client of Marek/Rouslan, a white-collar depressive who is not a slick English-speaker was brilliantly spot on. The interchange of language when the two main characters begin to forge a meaningful relationship from prostitution is paralleled artfully with the interchange of sexual positions between them. Sex, growing to meaningful verbal communication, growing to love, growing to individuation, and salvation for both.

Very affective cinematography which is intensely personal or roughly realistic. Daniil Vorobyov, as the Boss, plays a truly frightening villain, whose beauty as an instrument of his sadism rang so true for me. The plot and the Boss character's personality take interesting turns which balance the subdued portrayals of Daniel and Marek/Rouslan.

As an older gay man who came out at 17 on a hustler strip of an American city in the 1960s because I could not get into bars, I was impressed by how some things really haven't changed despite the progress in developed nations for middle class and wealthy gay men. The Eastern Boys were familiar to me, as was Daniel, the john. The oldest profession remains either stepping stone or downfall for the runaways and refugees. At least, this one film handled this reality with artful sensitivity and realism.

Much more than I expected

[capcomtom · 7/10 · 20 December 2015]

I was only prepared to give this film just half a chance (which I'm glad I did), and bail out as soon as it got too "Euro" for me.

Aside from one semi-painful and overly long techno-music / dancing scene early on, the film was perfectly palatable to this particular Mid-Western American's tastes.

As others have noted, it starts off a bit slowly, and you're left wondering if there will ever be any dialogue.

Turns out there is, and in multiple languages too. I loved the realism of the two initially only being able to communicate through their own broken English, instead of their native tongues (each being unfamiliar to the other).

Really well acted by all, and beautifully filmed. It had a documentary feel to it, without the obnoxious jittery camera work that some directors think that look requires.

There are some mildly graphic gay sex scenes, so if that's too much for you, consider yourself warned. It's hardly gratuitous though, and nothing you haven't seen between heterosexual characters in other movies over the last thirty years.

The story could have used a bit more background on the primary characters, which is what prevented me from giving it an 8 or a 9. I can see how time constraints might have gotten in the way of the film maker's doing that however.

Anyway, it's a breath of fresh air from the usual formula and is much recommended.

The Ending is a Concession to Judgmental Eyes

[Bayamon_Hill · 5/10 · 24 June 2015]

The first thing you must understand about this movie is that there is hardly any back story to the characters. Daniil, the well-off French man, wears a suit, has dinner parties at his house, and desires young men to have sex with. He finds one named Marek, who is part of a large group of (illegal) Eastern European guys, none older than 26, that cruises and hustles, and ultimately looks for ways to get over on people. The arrangement is made between the two and disaster happens the following day when Marek's crew shows up instead and ransacks Daniil's place and takes everything. Lesson learned right? That would be a short, but pretty good movie. What we get is a slow slide down to something less compelling. Marek comes back out of some sense of regret (or maybe just an easy way of getting money) and he and Daniil complete their deal, except that Marek keeps on coming back. All of this makes sense to me because people act differently when by themselves. The hustler acts tough with his guys and when alone, he can be more expressive (not that he is). Marek eventually tells Daniil that he trusts him, and so allows himself to be vulnerable enough to relate his tragic tale. Daniil, in turn, offers up no story of his own but shows a desire to take care of Marek. It still makes sense until Daniil's attraction for Marek, who he is getting to know so much about, changes from carnal to paternal. One can still care and protect someone who he or she loves intimately. I would say it is sort of required. So by the end of the movie, when Daniil is now trying to adopt Marek as his son, I was very confused. It just seemed that the maker of this movie wanted to create a relationship between the older man and the younger guy that would be more palatable to audiences. Getting to know someone's troubled back story should not become a reason to stop loving someone romantically, but I think would make that love stronger. It would just take a braver filmmaker to make that point.

Discomforting and Unpredictable and I love It!

[derrickluciano · 10/10 · 3 June 2017]

It's difficult to predict what's gonna happen next, till the very end. The characters are non - stereotypes if you take a closer look, and you might question why a gay guy would make such crazy decisions. The plot is not something you would get from a gay May-December affair story.

It started and ended like a thriller but at the heart of the film is a love story of a different kind. This is the relationship of Daniel, a 50's something French career guy and a young Ukrainian hustler. From a sexual relationship, it evolved into something more profound. At first, it may seem implausible. But people start to show their natural selves. One gets to know the histories of a person, or why he acts that way, like using sex to interact with people or gain trust, or learn to understand that he might need something else, like guidance and paternal love.

It would be easy to miss out symbolism on what led to this change - the airplanes, fireworks, how they dress up and their antics, etc. The night scene after the fireworks is crucial as the couple showed acceptance of a new kind of bonding.

The movie dealt with other realities like the dangers of prostitution, gang behavior and undocumented illegal migrants. These actually made the film more interesting and realistic.

The acting of the two leads are top-notch. Their facial expressions convey so much emotions that words can't tell. Kudos also to The Boss who showed his weakness at one part. Very good actors and that includes the hotel manager.

This requires a second viewing...

Gay romance drama that won't blow your mind

[stroggos · 6/10 · 26 March 2017]

EASTERN BOYS is the story of a middle-aged man developing a love interest with an Ukrainian rent boy. The boy's still caught up in gang life and his troubled condition as an immigrant in France complicate the relationship. EASTERN BOYS is part drama, part romance, a story told with relatively little words and carried by superb performances.

All of the characters appear to be very real, and even the movie's "villain", the gang leader, is relatable and not one-sided. The relationship between the two main protagonists is similarly multi-faceted and interesting.

Overall, the movie did keep me interested... but at times it just prodded along, bugged down by pacing issues. Especially the middle part of the movie had far too many short scenes with short musical interludes, which made everything seem blur together. Cinematographically, EASTERN BOYS looks decent but it also has a lot of generic shots and cuts... and a pretty bad overlaid images shot in a dance scene.

All in all, a decent gay-themed romance drama that will keep you entertained, but it won't blow your mind.

The usual middle-aged Western gay man's fantasy

[Radu_A · 1/10 · 7 December 2014]

Most people in the West know that being gay in Eastern Europe isn't easy. However, the most difficult aspect of being a gay Eastern European - like yours truly - isn't the danger of the situation, or severing the ties to your family, or finding an opportunity to work in a Western country. No, the most difficult thing is that, once one is there, one is constantly confronted with the stereotypes pictured in this film and many others.

Here, we have a well-off man in his 40s cruising a hustler in a station, foolishly giving him his address because he isn't free that day. It's not just the hustler who shows up for the date, but also his peers. They clear the man's apartment, which he stoically endures. To make up for it, the hustler returns later for the promised sex and keeps coming back. The man falls in love with him but the boy's motives remain unclear.

The way the story plays out gives very good testimony to older Western gays' fantasies of very young manipulative (or manipulable) Eastern rent-boys. In their media, they ignore that rent-boys of Eastern origin are usually straight, in reality it's actually very important to them, as they consider paying for sex with other gays unnecessary. They dream of a 'love story' in which they wield all material and emotional power, and that their partner is a much younger willful tool. Since this is (fortunately) unlikely with the more liberated gay generation of today, they project this fantasy on poor refugees.

If 'Eastern Boys' can be interesting for straight audiences, then because it shows how superficial gay men can be, and that stereotypes in our community can be just as pervasive and mean as those women are often subjected to. If you want to get a taste of what the situation of rent-boys is really like, there are a number of documentaries which deal with the issue, such as 'Rent Boys' AKA 'Die Jungs vom Bahnhof Zoo' by Rosa von Praunheim (Germany) or 'Not Angels but Angels' by Wiktor Grodecki (Czech Republic).

'Eastern Boys', on the contrary, is a disrespectful charade. Western gays advocate their rights emphatically. They should respect that such a cliché depiction is highly offensive to Eastern gays - and enforces stereotypes faced at home, namely that being gay is a sign of Western decadence, weakness and psychological disorder. We are people, not your objects of desire.

Eastern Boys

[CinemaSerf · 6/10 · 6 January 2023]

"Daniel" (Olivier Rabourdin) is a successful gent who cruises the mall and picks up the handsome young "Marek" (Kirill Emelyanov). Rather unrealistically, I thought, he gives him his address and next day - equally unsuprisingly, he has a few unexpected visitors who completely implausibly clear out his house around him after have drank his booze and eaten his food. At this point I was ready to turn this off! I didn't though, and I am glad. Next day, "Daniel" answers the door to the young rent boy - alone, this time - and over the remaining course of the film we follow the two as they begin to bond. The former man realises that his new toy-boy is, at heart, a decent lad who has moved from desperate circumstances in the Ukraine and fallen into bad company in an hostel dominated by the "boss" (Daniil Vorobyov). There is a degree of chemistry between the two here, and we do - after that rather ropey start - begin to feel just a little invested in the youngster as his character develops and his personality and integrity are encouraged by an older man who initially just wanted sex, but who quickly realises that more could be on offer - for both of them, here. It takes quite a swipe at immigration policies, of bullying and of crime whilst offering us performances that emit just the slightest glimmer of hope and aspiration. It's far, far too long - and Robin Campillo really ought to have been far more savage with the digital razor blade at the start, but once it's up and running it develops an impetus to it that makes it engaging to watch.

eastern block gang en Françe

[ksf-2 · 8/10 · 21 July 2015]

Pretty weird flick... Olivier Rabourdin is "Daniel", who thinks he has picked up a hustler at the train station; instead, things go from weird to weirder. The person who shows up at his door is NOT the person he thinks he hired, and when a whole group of eastern block people show up, things go south quickly. Daniil Vorobyov is "Boss", the chiseled, muscle-y leader of the pack, who runs the show. Then Daniel sees Marek, the guy who lured him into this whole mess (Kirill Emelyanov), and they strike up an odd relationship. The last two thirds of the film is mostly about their relationship, which has its ups and downs.

Written and directed by Robin Campillo, whose other works are related to gangs or different social classes and the issues that come with that. Not much info on any of these actors in IMDb. While this film is a bit off-beat, it's certainly entertaining, and one of the few films where I was not able to guess what comes next. English subtitle translation du français.

A Film About the Evolution of an Unusual Love

[krme · 9/10 · 30 July 2018]

I have watched this movie several times now. Being an American I must confess that I am rather dense when it comes to understanding the nuances of many European films. In the beginning I was very confused, there is almost no dialogue for the first ten minutes of the film, and then, what little dialogue there was I did not understand the language. I thought that my closed captioning was turned off. But no, it was not.

These limitations, however, are strictly my own. As I watched repeatedly, with breaks in between viewings, I began to realize. In Daniel's world, his attractions to the younger "Eastern European Boys" must be conducted in secret. In darkened corners and away from prying eyes. This is because his attraction to teenage boys (presumably underage) is illegal, and treated as shameful, sick, deranged, even, perhaps deserving of pity. Marek's world is much the same, he plys his trade in the open, but retreats to the same shameful corners and dark spaces to arrange the sale of his services to those that would buy them.

What this story is really about then is; how do these two men. One older, one younger learn to see each other as something other than the simple fulfillment of sexual desire and a source of income. That is what this movie depicts. At first we see them only as caricatures, stereotypes of what (American) society would expect of Daniel, as a man who desires sex with much younger men. We see Marek as the person who is paid to provide that service, and that's it.

As the movie slowly (yes, slowly) unfolds so does their relationship. So, also, do their characters. We begin to see that something more than desire and object is happening here. Marek returns after his friends completely strip Daniel's home of literally everything they can carry. My first reaction when I saw him return and ring Daniels doorbell was to shout; "No! No! Don't open the door to him again!" I realized on the third viewing, that this seemingly stupid action on Daniel's part has great significance. It is representing the opening of his heart.

For, perhaps the first time in his life, Marek experiences a love from Daniel that asks for nothing in return. He pleases Marek at each encounter, until Marek lets go of his layers of cynicism and protection. He open's his heart to Daniel. Over time they struggle, fight, make-up, discuss and negotiate and work their way toward a father and son relationship. Which, by the end of the movie is exactly what it has become. Or, perhaps the status of their relationship is left for the viewer to decide. I can see it going both ways.

Yes, this film will challenge the way you look at attraction between disparate ages. Yes, this film my make you uncomfortable at times. However, if you watch with an open heart and an open mind you may see that love, compassion and respect can grow in the oddest of places. It took me a lot of time and many viewings to give this movie room to breathe in my heart. Once I did I was glad. It has become my favorite LGBT movie. Thank you for reading my review. I hope it helped.

Disappointing and Implausible (Spoiler alert)

[ekeby · 4/10 · 8 July 2015]

While the portrayal of Eastern European teen prostitutes as predators may be spot on, in this instance their victim's passivity makes us wonder about the whole set up.

The movie is well photographed and the actors are good, convincing even. It's the story line that didn't ring true for me. The 50 year-old john is a sophisticated Parisian. He's been around the block. We know something about him from his apartment's decor and his photographs. His initial reaction when a child bursts in accusing him of illegal sex is good, but once an entire gang of prostitute thugs takes over his apartment, his inaction is ridiculous. A man like that would have cut and run, admitted his bad judgment to the police and had the gang busted.

After his apartment has been stripped bare, the gang's lure shows up and the guy lets him in and initiates what we are to believe is a tender, loving relationship.

I'm not buying it. Could this have happened? Sure. But to a Parisian guy who picks up hustlers, presumably on a regular basis? No way, no how.

That the object of his desire resembles a young Roman Polanski didn't help matters for me. I could see someone acting like a complete fool for a raving beauty with testosterone to spare, but this kid wasn't one by a long shot, IMO.

This movie isn't worth watching guys. I think that for first world in-the-life gays, this will seem antique.

Adequate Movie

[adamshl · 5/10 · 11 August 2015]

There's no doubt the production department of this film is accomplished. The cast, direction, photography and editing are all up to par. What the problem is a rather implausible plot.

After Mr. X, obviously a seasoned professional, picks up a moody youth-hustler in the train station and makes arrangements for him to come to his apartment the next day, a motley gang (of which the youth is a member) shows up instead and ransacks the apartment. Then the following day the doorbell rings and there's the initial youth standing there wanting to come in! What does Mr. X do? Allows him not only to enter but engage in a lengthy affair.

Sorry, but I don't buy that. Mr. X is not only unusual but must be a bit daft. The entire plot then centers around this odd couple's relationship, and unfortunately it lost my interest.

All the production values are in place and the film is obviously the product of a polished crew. Still, the quirkiness of character motivation diminished my interest and appreciation of an otherwise interesting European drama.

Eastern Boys: Far Beyond a Love Story

[Jadiel_Ribeiro · 9/10 · 17 March 2015]

This French production was conducted with a tense cadence and the atmosphere was created was very sophisticated: the soundtrack, the cinematography, the plot development, the performance of the main couple, everything was orchestrated to drown the spectator in this controversial history. Frankly, Kirill Emelyanov was a great surprise! I got a little worried about certain issues in this movie, mainly the elitism that was the choice of privilege the view of Daniel (a successful man with economic power and that, in some way, dominates and subjugate Marek) about the events. This choice, if not looked critically, may seems like a xenophobic Manicheism (Daniel = the man who "salves" Marek from the degeneration/ Boss = the bad guy that preclude the "happiness of the lovers"). But, on the other hand, if we analyze the film without being get stuck by this romantic bourgeois superficiality, the movie can be very rich, extremely delicate and complex, because it allows to the spectator have several reflections about the issues of immigration, oppression and all the problematics the main relationship covers (precisely for the way it was conducted). The movie puts the spectator in a dilemma: the immediate impression is that the picture is about a fair and emancipator love story of an honorable middle-class man and a lost boy with no future. But, if we were not hurried, complicated issues arises: Daniel was egoist, he used from your supposed love (or caprice?) and from his power of French citizen to get what he wanted (his beautiful, young, mysterious and economically and emotionally fragile lad) and he didn't give a f**k for the other immigrants. What was at stake to Daniel was get back his young lover, but for the immigrants, what was at stake was something far more tragic and cruel, things which their lives and survival depended of. So, Eastern Boys can be read as a dark portrait of oppression and exploration from the French people to the immigrants. For me, Daniel "tamed" Marek so he could be inserted in a petty-bourgeois and imperialist lifestyle almost like a catechizing. Maybe, more than showing his love to Marek, with the end of the picture, Daniel showed him his power and became Marek a "good boy", dependent and subjugated to this power of his in order to Marek no longer be a "marginal" who "terrifies" the good French citizens. I though, even, this ending very gloomy, however, that's exactly why I thought it provocative and instigating.

Powerful

[robert-85923 · 8/10 · 17 April 2019]

This film is not for the faint hearted - it's fairly full on - powerful and moving. The language bar is very low. Shot in French, English and Russian - you don't really need to know much of the other languages to understand it. It's tense and moody - especially the first half.

Strong performances from the leads and from main supporting actors.

Recommended

Painfully slow and shallow

[millionsknives-178-107308 · 4/10 · 7 August 2016]

This movie lingers so much that it's running time is filled with nothing substantial, which is a great shame as the premise feels like it could have grown to more had the pace been quickened to include more meaningful interaction. Instead we're given a bare bones story, where characters are underdeveloped and there doesn't seem to be any real connection between the two main characters. Other than simple pity I see no reason for the older characters actions. There is no personal drivers to keep the characters interacting.

A bit of depth is given during a scene with fireworks, but it's the one time we're given insight into a character's inner mind and emotions. I stuck with the whole movie as reviewers said I'd gain something from the ending, however the journey felt paper thin and there was nothing to be learnt from the movie.

I've given it a four as the movie has some moments of promise and it's cinematography is visually nice.

Very French film

[dibeyendu · 10/10 · 12 June 2019]

When a dozen young thugs thugs enter your apartment and ransack it, you would expect some resistance, some violence. But no, in this very French film, everything is very civilised, almost as if it were a social gathering, with the robbers dancing as they rob and the guy being robbed having a drink as we watches all his fancy possessions being lugged away. Though the film has a high degree of tension and pent up violence running through, it never actually manifests itself except in short bursts and in the (relatively) mild form of a boy being roughly shoved to the ground, having a foot placed on his face and then tied up. Which is why these small bits of violence are so impactful and lead to such explosive consequences in the story. This is a very unique film and I really enjoyed it.

(Partial-viewing review) Shying away

[sesht · 29 January 2015]

(Screened as part of the myFrenchFilmFestival.com that is underway only on screens - the TV link does not work for most of the features and the shorts, no matter what anyone else might tell you).

Full disclosure - the screening for this movie was not done, due to a technical glitch, and one of the organisers promised to screen it once again, and let us know when that would happen. This is a review of the first 70 minutes of the 129 minute movie.

The movie begins just showing life as you pass it by in any public square, deceptively focusing on a group of characters who turn out to be the main prota/antagonists as the movie progresses. It puts us in the position of being a fly-on-the-wall, and for those rewarded with patience among their character traits, it is a rewarding set of sequences.

When the plot finally takes off, we are blessed with the degree of involvement needed to take sides, be in the corner of the protagonists, as it were.

It also helps understanding that what transpires thereupon, could happen to anyone. Scary, but surely true, in this day and age.

It is a very tender tale, told with an appreciation for the nuances inherent in human relationships, with an eye for capturing really intimate moments that are usually glossed over in mainstream cinema, without offending sensibilities (or so I thought - but more on that later).

The technical aspects are all fine, and complement the narrative as they should, never detracting from the tale being told, never calling attention to themselves, which is the way it should be - plot over everything else, substance over style, and so forth.

The performances are also uniformly good, with the bulk of the responsibilities shouldered by the main protagonist played by Olivier Rabourdin (many many credits, including the 'Taken' franchise, Ma mère, Rois et Reine, 13 Tzameti, Crime d'amour, Midnight in Paris, Les Lyonnais, Grace of Monaco), who looks and acts like Kevin Spacey (without the showiness that he's becoming more famous for nowadays) in 'David Gale' mode, and that's nice to behold.

As an aside, in a screening as a part of myFrenchFilmFestival.com, I got to see actual homophobia (no surprise actually, considering the mentality of most of this generation even, but being faced with it was another thing altogether). There were a group of professionals (!?) who walked in 30 minutes into the screening, were noisy getting in, noisier in all their whispering during their 15 minutes of watching the movie, and noisily shocked by the instances of physical intimacy between 2 consenting adults of the same gender, and ultimately walked out noisily. I wouldn't wish that kind of audience on any movie appreciating individual or group, but movie-watching nowadays, especially the specialty kind, seems to be more a test of patience and compromises lending themselves to being endurance and tolerance tests more than anything else.

I'll update this review after watching the movie in its entirety, and since the organisers have not gotten back with details of the next screening of this flick like they promised they would, am not completely sure when that might be.

Not worth Watching

[robtaday · 1/10 · 10 August 2016]

Ah, hustlers. Ah, eastern European hustlers. Ah, stupid older men. What is so terrific about that really? Do we really need to get inside the minds of rent boys? Why? I know, they are just doing what they have to do, right? Hanging around ripping off people. Having gay sex. big deal. Call me homophobic (a totally stupid term by the way with a fake definition - irrational fear of homosexuals? Irrational?

Anyway, I could barely get through the set up opening. I have travelled a lot in my time and seen many of these things up close - in Thailand, Philipines, etc. Or in Hollywood. It is a sad, depressing life. I have noticed lately that more and more boys turn to this and try to rationalize their gay-for-pay. I think it is laziness. I know that in some countries, the hustler child is the only breadwinner in the family. I can even remember going to one country and a young boy stood on the sidewalk and offered his entire family for sale - males and females - everyone from his siblings to his parents and even grandmother ($5.00). His littlest brother he had in a blonde wig and lipstick. I am not kidding. So sad. How could somebody take that little boy?

I guess I am just tired of these scenes as if they are something to be admired. If it is just meant to show reality, then that is even more depressing. Go anywhere on the globe and you will find this. It to me is disgusting.

Eastern Boys rounds up Ukrainian immigrants and places them in a sensual home invasion thriller.

[TheMovieDiorama · 9/10 · 19 February 2020]

The Gare du Nord, Paris. A group of Eastern European "toughs" work the streets, searching for wealthy businessmen to invite them back to their lavished apartments. Daniel, a white-collar worker, notices a young "minor" he finds attractive, Marek. Eerily following his footsteps until he encounters him. Cornered. They exchange address details, arranging a time for a meet. The next evening, Daniel prepares himself and the apartment for Marek's arrival. Polo shirt. Denim jeans. White sneakers with laces tied tightly. The phone rings. "It's Marek". "Come on up". A gentle knock on the front door echoes around the polished abode. Daniel nervously unlocks the entrance, but what waits on the other side will change his life forever.

Campillo's dramatic thriller has an unpredictable direction that maintains an unforgiving ambience throughout. Amalgamating two opposing classes of society into an eventful invasive situation that tests the boundaries of both parties involved. Daniel taunted for his repressed homosexuality by the entity that invites themselves into the apartment. Helpless to the scenario that crudely unfolds. The next morning arrives. Daniel, silenced by the aftermath, encounters Marek again. Clouded with guilt or exploiting Daniel further? Marek confidently applies himself to the prostitution that was promised originally. Daniel hesitates but proceeds.

What follows for the remaining runtime is a "Good Samaritan" narrative, with Daniel granting Marek a chance at embellishing the adult world without restrained by the impoverished limitations of immigrants living in hotels under the jurisdiction of social-services. Campillo insightfully provides a harrowing portrait on France's uncontrollable level in immigration whilst intricately crafting a tender relationship in the process that challenges the maturity levels of both individuals. The thematic veneers that Campillo layers upon the furnished walls of Daniel's apartment, astonishes upon every nail-biting turn provided in his screenplay. Every sparse line of dialogue. Every nullified murmur of displeasure. From teaching Marek the French vocabulary of body parts to Marek himself detailing his war-torn past to a befuddled Daniel. The script provokes a monumental amount of care from each character. Not love, but supervision.

What initially commences as a protruding thriller unravels to become a mature drama perceiving change. How one well-intentioned soul can provide an opportunity for a less fortunate individual to better themselves and integrate their intuition into a society that discards them. Replenishing a system that accepts immigrants by granting them a life they can lead. Not trapped by the confinements of four walls that surrounds these helpless souls. Campillo also illustrates loveless intimacy, with Marek offering himself to Daniel for a few euros, amplifying the modern issues of gay culture in general. The explicit scenes of sexual nature were difficult to watch given the circumstances these characters find themselves in, highlighting an insufficiency and inadequacy between the two of them.

It's an incredible piece of cinema that relies on character intervention and sublime direction. Fortunately Rabourdin and Emelyanov produce two of the finest performances queer cinema has to offer. The dimensionality they provide in every situation, from awkward conversations to the conclusive rescue mission, is outstanding. Manifesting pure yet flawed souls into their performances. Rebotini's score occasionally overwhelmed the dramatic endeavours on screen, but supplied a hefty bass during the initial home invasion sequence. Notable praise must be awarded to Lapoirie's gorgeous cinematography. She utilised the confined environment around her to accentuate the thrills of both the first and third act. Even a simple shot of the neighbouring apartment blocks, day or night, contributed to the class segregation theme that Campillo deftly analysed.

The only noticeable criticism was with the chapter titles acting as transitions between human drama and unpredictable thrills. Their abrupt tonal alterations unfortunately felt out of place and less seamless than removing them entirely. It may liken the feature to a journal, yet hinders the pacing occasionally.

Oscillating between genres is no easy achievement, however Campillo's versatility proves that it can be done without regressing the feature. Eastern Boys is a testament to thematic cinema. Embedding a surplus of apt themes into a tender character-driven bond that rarely treads through cliches. Powerful, palpable and quite simply near-perfect. Eastern Boys proves that, when given the chance, we can take control of our lives for the better.