Being 17 (2016) User Reviews

Young hate and love in the French Alps

[JPfanatic93 · 7/10 · 21 May 2016]

This film, which in English speaking territories is released under the title Being 17, at first has all the hallmarks of your typical teenage drama. There's two seventeen year old boys and a fair bit of animosity between them. However, where usually there's girls or social status involved in explaining said strife, that is not the case here. In fact, there's no particular cause for their mutual dislike at all, it's just there. So we can imagine the horror on the one boy's face when his mother invites the other to come live with them. It's a generous but odd decision, considering their rivalry is there for everybody to see. It's not the oddest choice Quand on a 17 ans makes, since the intention of this film is showing the start of a homosexual relationship. You'll have a tough time believing this film, which takes place over a period of about 18 months, will see the relation between the boys change from mutual hatred and the occasional bit of violence to underscore that feeling, to genuine, physical affection between the pair.

Director André Téchiné - himself a gay man - is no stranger to both gay drama and teen angst. However, he felt the subject material needed the aid of writer Céline Sciamma to flesh the characters out to their best extent. Sciamma recently came off the teen drama Girlhood, which also showed rough relationships between youngsters (though all of them girls in that particular case), but despite the 37 year difference in age between herself and her director, she proves a right addition to make the teen dialogue that much more snappy and convincing. Aided by strong, not to mention daring, performances from both the young actors and their more experienced counterparts, the script goes a long way to make the unlikely transformation from one state of affairs to the other feel that much more real. Cinematography and editing do their bit as the movie moves from a snowy, cold opening to a warm and colourful close in summer, as a perfect (but rather obvious) metaphor for the change in teen moods.

Nevertheless, for the audience it's still a far cry from hate to love (especially a type of love this deeply felt) in just under two hours time. All the ingredients are there to make us convince this is transpiring, but it just moves too fast to make us feel it with the two main characters. It has the pretension, conscious or unconscious, of an emotional epic the likes of La Vie D'Adele (better known as Blue is the Warmest Colour in many regions), but unlike that wonderful film, it just cuts the time necessary to make it equally emotionally compelling for us by a third. We cannot help but feel things are rushed, even though the movie cannot be accused of being fast paced. A change in teen nature of this magnitude simply begs more illustration for full emotional immersion, it seems.

Nice scenery (and I don't just mean the boys)

[euroGary · 7/10 · 4 November 2016]

In 'Being Seventeen' we meet Damien (Kacey Mottet Klein), who is surprised when his mother Marianne (Sandrine Kiberlain) calmly accepts his declaration of sexual attraction to a classmate. But why would she be surprised? Damien's candy-coloured rhinestone earring hardly shouts 'macho man'. But it is fair to say he is not the stereotypical film closeted homosexual: he enthusiastically takes boxing lessons from a friend of his army pilot father; and he is not even sure whether it is men generally he is attracted to, or just that particular classmate: Thomas (played by male model Corentin Fila).

The trouble with Damien's attraction to Thomas is that the latter bullies the former. But when Marianne, the local doctor in the Pyrenean community, hospitalises Thomas' weak, pregnant mother, she invites him to stay with her and Damien, and so the two boys are thrown together...

There are occasions when this film loses the way: Damien and Thomas are plainly the centre of the story, so sequences focusing exclusively on Marianne seem pointless and add little to the main story. But Kiberlain certainly provides a decent performance as the friendly mother who chats happily to the boys while serving them a glass of after-school wine (did I mention this is a French film?), before a personal tragedy means she must pull her life back together. Fila and Klein are given likable characters to play - Thomas concerned by his mother's condition; Damien the bully's victim - and also turn in good performances.

But the best aspect for me is the scenery: director André Téchiné gets the best of filming in the Pyrénées, with the endless snow-covered mountains (most of the filming seems to have taken place during the depths of winter) gradually giving way to deep, verdant valleys as the film and seasons progress. But it is not just a travelogue - this film is well worth seeing for its take on awakening sexuality.

multi-dimensional characters, never dull

[ekeby · 8/10 · 11 August 2017]

For some reason I wasn't aware this was a Techine film until the credits. Then it was an a-ha moment--I should have known. Quality like this doesn't come from many other directors.

The theme and characters are echos of some in other Techine films. But this one, like his others, is fresh and original, enough so that I never made the connection.

The story is not just about a gay relationship, but that relationship is the thread that holds the story together. This film has a scarce commodity: gay characters who are multidimensional. Nothing is cut and dried between them, nothing is easy. The progression of the relationship is a struggle--literally--and it feels natural and real. To me.

If it doesn't seem real to you, chances are you're under 30 and have grown up in a progressive, first-world culture. For me, well... my college boyfriend (50+ years ago) was a hyper-masculine bisexual boxer who was angry that he was attracted to guys, and angrier still that he was in love with one. So, yeah, I could relate. I remember our bruises.

The locale, actors, cinematography, etc., all first rate. However, if you're like me you may feel you've had your fill of LGBT coming of age stories. Just know that this variation on that theme is one you're unlikely to have seen before and it's really well done.

Subtle coming-of-age tale

[Red_Identity · 22 March 2017]

I wasn't really sure what to except out of this film, but to classify it as simply an LGBT film would be a great disservice to what it's doing. There aren't just two leads here, there are three, and that is crucial to the importance of it. The screenplay is layered and filled with small gestures and moments that mean a lot to the characters, but ones we have to be attentive to. This is a little film made out of moments like that and if people aren't used to it and don't like that kind of storytelling, they may not take to this film. It's subtle and very nuanced where it counts, and that's why it stands apart from the rest of its like.

Rivalry, that's where sometimes it all begins.

[Reno-Rangan · 6/10 · 24 August 2017]

I don't know why this film has not been watched by many. This is a good film, a good French gay film. Like many reviewers had already mentioned, this is not your typical gay theme. It would have been better if you had tried it without knowing what kind of story is this. Anyway, I mentioned it, but it is not a spoiler if you thought so. It would have landed at you in one way or the other while learning about the film.

It was more a drama than the romance. But everything has to have a nicer initiation. So, that's how the film characters take the shape. Only those important characters like the main two and another 2-3 were the all focus. The narration clearly ignores everything else to put the story straight, despite it was not about the straight guys.

The tale was told from the perspective of Damien, a new boy moved into the small foothill town with his doctor mother and while his father serving in the army in an away tour. Sometimes, the perspective takes neural to accomplish the other aspect of the story. An unexpected rivalry begins between Damien and his classmate, Thomas, a loner who lives up in the hills in a farmland.

As the film progresses, their fight intensifies. But there comes a time to compromise when the developments around them forces them to do so. It's the turning point for them, yet they're not in the mood to shake hands. You could say what comes henceforth, but that's where you might go wrong. This tale breaks the stereotypes and brings a fresh perspective on homosexuality. Although not fully unpredictable narration.

❝I don't know if I'm into guys or just you.❞

Besides, the places where the film shot was magnificent. Takes place in different seasons, and each time the story well exploited the region to blend with the emotions, fierce and other moods in the drama. The two boys were good. Because of the type of their role, the film looks slow in some parts. But overall gets better with its upcoming scene.

The first two acts were nothing but the boys and their struggle to get over with their conflict. More like the random acts of normal reaction to such incidents. Only if it had tough guys on both the ends. But where it all leads were well planned that you may slightly disappoint with it. Like I was aware of a couple of things from the story, and it indeed that's how it turned out at the latter part. Otherwise, there's no complaint about it.

Despite I enjoyed watching it, not the film that I wanted. I blame my anticipation for having such opinion. I was looking for more and more things to happen, whereas the narration was riding in the simplest manner. Especially the last half an hour brought the best out of it. Yeah, you could say it ended strongly and probably a turning point for the audience to change their stance if they were not happy so far.

Firstly, it is worth watching for being a different for such concept, and that's because of the writing. Secondly the cinematography, direction, including the actors made it a better flick. But personally I was not happy about failing to come to the point in the early section. It recovered, almost at very late. And then it ended better. But still I agree it was a perfect portrayal of the older teenagers and their confusing sexuality. The contents were realistic while the film stayed true to cinematic. I hope people watch it with low expectation and patience.

7/10

Best Techine

[jromanbaker · 10/10 · 14 September 2016]

This is certainly one of the best of one of France's great directors. The cast is perfect, and the two youths beautifully played. Their antagonism at the beginning is not uncommon to those who are still foreigners to their sexuality, and certainly not uncommon to youths far from any centres of so-called gay life. Their attraction is caught by looks that are touching, troubling and moving and the hostility to their own feelings, especially that of Thomas (Corentin Fila ) who lives a more remote life than Damien (Kacey Mottet Klein)who realises his sexual and emotional desires earlier, is perfectly understandable. I will not give away the plot, but mention must be made of the subtle and delicate acting of Damien's mother (Sandrine Kiberlain ) and her exquisite variations of emotions. This is the kind of film that raises homosexuality to a new level in world cinema, and I hope it reaches the wide audience it needs to raise hope, awareness and respect for a choice of love still a problem even in France, and yet no other country could have made this film in quite the same way. Louis Malle's 'Les Amants' which equally showed antipathy between the two lovers was considered a great breakthrough in portraying sexual love for heterosexuals. This film equals it in beauty of image, and its wisdom, and it is a crying shame it was not given the Golden Bear at Berlin. A masterpiece.

potential but left with lacking

[michaelmangia · 6/10 · 25 May 2018]

All the cliches aside, yes this movie was completely predictable, i knew the father was going to die. You never saw the son struggling with his fathers death, you only saw the mother shed a few tears. it wasn't very believable how very calm it seemed to have the father die, nobody suffered greatly. maybe because the father character wasn't developed much and they wanted to spend more time on the love story aspect. the very end was super cheesy, it was sweet but could have ended it in a more thought provoking way instead of a cheesy kiss. aside from all that, the acting was pretty well done.

A uniquely moving experience

[howard.schumann · 10/10 · 29 October 2016]

Bullying normally leads to lasting enmity between the perpetrator and the victim. Only occasionally does it lead to friendship. Rarely does it lead to love, but such is the case in André Téchiné's ("In the Name of my Daughter") masterful coming of age drama, Being 17 (Quand on a 17 ans), his best film since the 1994 "Wild Reeds." Co-written by director Céline Sciamma ("Girlhood") and set in the Pyrenees Mountains in the South of France, the film opens with the sight of a lonely boy trudging through winding snow-covered mountain roads on his way to school, a journey partly on foot and partly by bus that takes him an hour and a half each way.

The boy is Thomas Charpoul (Corentin Fila), a biracial Algerian boy of seventeen who has been adopted by a white farming family and whose feeling of alienation from his parents, Jacques (Jean Fornerod, "Polisse") and Christine (Mama Prassinos, "Leaving") carries over to his behavior at school. Usually, one of the last to be picked for a basketball team in gym class, Tom's anger finds an outlet when he deliberately provokes another classmate Damien Delille (Kacey Mottet Klein, "Keeper"), tripping him as he goes back to his seat after reciting a poem by Rimbaud in front of the class and shoving him to the ground after school.

Damien is a tall, slender boy who could not be more different than his nemesis. He is a committed student, emotionally stable, and close to his mother Marianne (Sandrine Kiberlain, "Encore Heureux"), the only doctor in the small town. As performed by Kiberlain, she is a three-dimensional figure whose warmth and humor light up the screen and the film is her story as well as that of the two boys. Damien's father Nathan (Alexis Loret, "In Harmony"), is an Army pilot who is engaged in an unspecified conflict in the Middle East, but is away from home often and but plays a strong role in the Damien's life. Not cowed, Damien takes lessons in self defense from family friend Paulo (Jean Corso, "In the Name of my Daughter") and plans to retaliate but circumstances change the dynamics.

When Marianne visits Christine to treat her pulmonary infection, she discovers that her patient is pregnant. Unaware of the conflict between the boys, she invites Thomas to stay at their house during his mother's pregnancy so that he can keep up his grades. While on the surface it is a decision that seems contrived except that Marianne has dreams about having an affair with Tom. Though the violence between the boys continues even as they share the same house, Damien recognizes new feelings when he sees Tom take off his clothes and dive naked into a lake in the middle of winter.

Startled by his physical attraction, he tells him later that "I need to know if I'm into guys or just to you," but the answer remains unclear and their homoerotic relationship only develops after an initial period of fear and confusion. What stands out in Being 17 is the naturalness of the two boys and the chemistry they have together. This authenticity extends not only to the way they speak to each (neither are very vocal) or look at each other but to their body language even when they are fighting, as if they are happy to be receiving the others attention. Not enough can be said about the work of Klein and Fila. Their performances resonate with conviction and create a uniquely moving experience.

A unique tale

[proud_luddite · 7/10 · 24 April 2018]

In a small town in the mountainous Pyrenees region of France, two teenage boys in the same grade have an intense dislike for each other: Damien (Kacey Mottet Klein) who lives in a pleasant house in town and whose family is well-off; and Tomas (Corentin Fila) who is bi-racial and adopted by a farm family whose home is a long distance from town. Lurking beneath the mutual contempt is a sexual tension.

The beautiful location enhances the charm and depth of this moving film. In addition to the story of the two boys, there are subplots in each of their families that add greatly to the story overall. While the story of the boys' conflict seems to linger too long, the movie can be credited for being unpredictable and full of surprises.

The characterization of Tomas is particularly rich and filled with contradictions. In one moment, it is easy to despise him for his bullying ways; in the next moment, it is easy to pity him for his difficult daily life and the uncertainty due to a change that is about to happen in his family. Though not explicitly explored, he also has the difficulty of seeming to be the only non-white person in the small town.

The actors are both great in their roles as is Sabine Kiberlain who plays Damien's mother and is also a doctor. She's very nurturing in both roles and is also quite touching as someone in a crisis in the movie's second half.

By the film's end, one has compassion for all of its characters.

Touching yet unsentimental

[Alger_P · 10/10 · 16 October 2016]

This movie is the best-directed contemporary gay love story I've ever seen. It doesn't over- dramatize the stigma that all gay youth deal with when coming out to themselves and others, but it doesn't pretend such stigma isn't important. It presents attraction and love and friendship and family and desire as the complexly interwoven mess that it always is, but is so rarely seen in media. It shows love as not the solution to all your problems, but also that it doesn't have to be tragic. It portrays traditional families charitably, alongside gayness - they don't have to be natural enemies, but they have different dynamics which are usually either ignored or treated one-dimensionally. Most importantly, this film describes coming out as it really is: a profoundly individual act, and usually played out non- tendentiously and in a narrative completely unique to that individual. Most coming out films I've seen swerve into clichés and predictable outcomes. Although this film's plot resolution is fairly conventional, somehow the characters' authenticity, uniqueness and vulnerability fulfilled the story in a deeply touching, yet unsentimental way. Bravo.

If you're not gay, you might think this movie is nothing special, the way some straight people I know thought Brokeback Mountain was tripe, not paying any attention to the repression central to that story. The moving qualities in this film are mostly a coming-out thing, so perhaps straight people won't relate, but there are glimmers here (and in our times) of that narrative holding enough substance to speak to universal truths.

GAY AGENDA IS UNNECESSARY ADD-ONS

[ZanderZion · 7/10 · 4 May 2019]

This should be another gay themed coming of age film but it didn't focus alone on coming out of two lead characters but rather the story rounds on their personal and family stories which made the film beautiful in other way. But this made me conclude that the "gay stuffs" etc. seems just inserted with no plan and the movie really ended without elaboration on their coming out, (just lovers under the shades of trees and secrecy). There's no support and closure to their coming out story, rather the story much focus on coping up from each trials that they and their family endures. Sadly a bland coming of age film but a beautiful family oriented one, I'd say.

Being 17

[ayonbhunia · 6/10 · 22 May 2022]

Enemies to lovers ? Yes. This movie first half was engaging and fun but it got dull on the second half. The movie is quite good in its dialogue.love the mom's character. They should have shown the story of two boys more but they didn't take the attention to that . It should have focused on that two boys rather than his mum and dad having personal issues. Quite of a average movie.

A lost opportunity

[tonysloane · 5/10 · 27 July 2017]

I was hoping it would be an interesting, and ultimately a gay film that I could relate to, but as previously alluded to on another critiqe, it was was a complete mish mash of scenes. What occasioned the animosity between the two boys? What was the visit to the gay farmer all about? There was no explanation. In fact there was no explanation for a number of scenes, and the final realisation that the boys were in love was condensed into a ten minute finale. A deeply disappointing movie, that was only worth five stars for the attractive boys that acted in it.

A nice coming of age movie.

[ravi2445 · 10/10 · 15 January 2017]

Nice story telling. The striking thing about this movie for me was the superb acting by Sandrine Kiberlain, who plays the doctor-mom, Marianne. The story is well written, and I can see why some of the reviewers seem to find fault with it, eg., "why did she invite her son's bully to stay with them ?"...but the way the story flows, it does not seem unbelievable. Some of the human elements are fantastic: when Thomas finds out his step-mother is pregnant, he tells Marianne that at last she will have a real child - to which she replies 'there are no fake children'. The delivery of dialogue here is fantastic. Same, when she finds out, finally, why the 2 boys have been fighting - her dialogue delivery and demeanor are superlative. The military funeral is done well too. The scenery has been used to good effect. The scenes of snow falling, driving in the snow, and of the isolated lakes where the boys go swimming in the nude in the middle of winter all add to the sense of isolation that Thomas has been used to living in.

All clichés possible, except one

[anamariadl · 10/10 · 23 August 2017]

I'd like to start this review with a plea. If you have not seen the film yet, stop reading whatever reviews you're reading and go watch it. Then come back and read and/or comment.

Now, this film is pure magic. It has a sensibility that if it does not manage to move you, few things in life will. As a heterosexual, for me, the biggest possible cliché in a film that portrays being gay, is the idea that being gay is wrong. Same goes for real life. The cliché that heterosexuals are against being gay, that they are condemning the behaviour, that being gay is not acceptable in society. Prejudice. Cowardice. Hate. All of these are MISSING from this film, and I think this is one of the most relevant reasons for why this film is so special. Except maybe one single moment, when training, Damien is being instructed to start sounding like a man fighting, not a girl fighting (why sounding like a girl fighting would be such a bad way is a bit beyond me) everything else is love. It is acceptance, from parents, from community, from people at school. The only ones that are finding it a bit hard to accept are Damien and Thomas who are struggling to find out what their feelings mean, in a world where being 'different' is seen as being 'wrong'.

What a sensible way of allowing love to blossom, of telling us that love is real, and that love can and WILL happen no matter what.

Yes it's cliché that the seasons are changing as the feelings and thoughts of the boys are changing, yes it's cliché that love starts from fighting with each other, with being jealous, yes it's cliché that the adopted child will tend to be more vulnerable and tough in what concerns his feelings and behaviour. So what? All these clichés only build an absolute ideal romance.

How can people really consider Thomas a bully? Which bully could care for his adored mother the way he does, which bully could care for the animals the way he does, which bully immerses himself into nature the way Thomas does, which bully shows disappointment and hurt when telling his lover that he knows what he was looking for in the other man? How can the love he shows be so invisible to all of you, just because a punch or a push. Choose to see emotions, and reactions rather just than only certain actions.

I think it is also wonderful that their love was shown as full love, as in both of them become one, instead of choosing another film and real life cliché that a gay male relationship will have one top and one bottom. BS! Love is more than that.

I could be writing more and more about the film, however I think the main idea is that the film is made with love, for people who choose to believe in love.

Incredible scenery, soundtrack to it, the acting is stellar from all involved, I am changing my review from 9 stars to 10. 10+ if I could.

Bleak, delicate, natural-looking gay come-of-age drama..exhilarating!

[prasanttrimurthy · 8/10 · 25 December 2017]

So this is what being 17 feels like?! This is a slow-moving, mundane yet beautiful, subtle drama that captures the bleak lives of two teenage boys, both living in different family backgrounds. Accompanied by constant shivering snowfalls, they both end up feeling 'something' between them.

This is a simple come-of-age story that doesn't show us usual intensity of gay relationships or obvious flow of surging passion (that concludes with I-love-you or I-like-you confessions). On the contrary it is more about wavering confusion and love-hate tension that grows between two adolescent boys studying in the same institute.

What makes it different from other gay films of similar themes is its ability to grip your attention and tease you with slightly puerile curiosity about: "will they come together?"

There are several unique elements that work as essentials of this story: sense of solitude, fierce jealousy, suppressed infatuation, silent expectations, teenage ego, and of course, the urgent hatred that often emerges from helpless, pent-up affection.

I especially loved the natural, engaging and poised performances of two young actors who seemed to know what they were supposed to do on screen - they appeared quite involved and effortless. Exhilarating indeed!

The art of movie making at its finest

[geostru · 10/10 · 8 March 2018]

The photography was simply sublime. Cuts between scenes and angles were seemless and organic. The character development was lovingly drawn out in exquisite detail - Thomas' love of the mountains and his defensive loneliness because of a broken home, Damien's scholastic ambition and his growing feelings for Thomas. You could feel the tension and attraction developing naturally between the two. The acting was top notch from everyone especially the grief of the mother at tragic death of her husband. The progression of the boys feelings for each other was perfectly believable, I never caught them acting. It deserved many more awards. Truly a work of art, in direct contrast to the pretentious, contrived, over hyped Call Me By Your Name and the wooden, Shatner-like acting of Armie Hammer.

Nice Scenery, Good Drama, but Illogical Plot, Imperfect Editing, Forced Conflict, Contrived Homsexuality & Terrible Wardrobe

[fishman-99014 · 1/10 · 4 March 2018]

WARNING! SPOILERS!!!

There are so many plot elements in this movie to discuss, meaningless bits that go no where. For instance, Tom claims he saw a bear and his father says he saw it in the fog when he was tired, in a dream. Later, some VERY clear, very DEEP, very obvious, fresh and regular tracks are shown (a bit more fresh than I have ever seen in the forest) on film, yet they are not followed up. They are not followed to a cave and no bear shapes in the distance are depicted. It is a dead end plot device with no purpose.

A common cinematic addition for no plot purpose is the usage gratuitous nudity. We were treated to full frontal and lingering rear nudity of the teenage Thomas character in nearly IDENTICAL scenes. Wait a minute, I think they WERE identical. Perhaps I should rewind and compare them closely? I suspect they shot the same scene then just edited out Damien for the first scene. At least that saved on production cost. Just one question -what causes a writer to use a dive into a remote frozen lake as the preferred choice for the insertion of gratuitous nudity?? Certainly the cold is unfriendly to the male member.

Another strange thing done in this film, Damien, upon is first visit to the farm slips into the barn, walks up to a cow and smells its ass! Of all things a person who has never been around cows might do, that is generally NOT the first thing a person does. Some might check out the udders. Others look at the great big eyes, while many pet the big soft furry warm flanks of the cow and others just stand back and gawk not sure what to do. Ass-sniffing is a little more of a canine sort of thing. Puzzling choice there, André.

Not only were there puzzling script choices, but there were some very strange technical bits from the perspective of a career military man. First of all, French heliborne aviation NEVER support US Special Forces. The 160th SOAR supports US Special Forces with very specially equipped helicopters, loaded with advanced electronics and advanced avionics. US aircraft even support French and British special forces personnel because USA invests so much in their aviation assets vis a vis NATO allies. Second, French troops over the past 75 years tend to flee from the possibility of loss as they cannot politically sustain combat deaths. They also are often sent in unarmed or loaded with blank munitions. The Foreign Legion troops are the ones that tend to risk losses. Lastly, US troops tend over the past 40 years tend to apply increasing force, not decreasing force, in conflict zones. US troops tend to be the last ones out of a combat zone.

The acting was a less than exciting. The script likely had something to do with the shortcomings in the characters, yet even so, the characters were mostly flat, duo-dimensional.

One strangely disturbing choice for this film was this. The characters NEVER change their clothes, despite nearly a year of time passage. I do not recall winter lasting that long in that region, but lets not quibble over tiny details.

The mother, lackadaisically played by the supremely unskilled Sandrine Kiberlain, was good at showing pain and depression, but not much else. She failed utterly at moving a happy, hardworking doctor character into a dark place of bereavement and utter loss. It seems she started with a certain foreknowledge of her husband's impending doom as there was this impending gloom-cloud that hung over her at the start that eventually began to rain a bit of alcoholism.

Corentin Fila, was probably the best actor of the film as he showed more character development throughout its length and more depth of character overall. His moodiness and strength were consistent, yet the flashes of emotion he was able to summon were impressive as were the way in which he rapidly hid/suppressed emotion.

Now for a quick list of a few plot problems: No character introduction for the father's friend and neighbor is provided. That must be learned over the course of the 2 hour film. The logic behind a mother inviting her son's bully into her home while her husband is not even home is beyond imagining. The mother defends not her own son, when sitting in front of the principal, but the OTHER boy. Damien readily admits to striking first (as if that usually happens). When the father comes home for Christmas, there are no gifts under the tree and he seems more eager to see the neighbor than his wife (yeah right!). Tom acts like a strong person most of the time, but a wimp when he drives Damien to the farm for the would-be sexual encounter. Damien does not follow Tom and the farmer out of concern his secret might spill. Tom just plops by the muffler in a huff when told to wait. A teenage boy, embarrassed by his sexuality, plays with himself with an open bedroom door (who does that??). There are soooo many more, but I am feeling nauseous just now.

The entire movie seems to be an imagined teenage homosexual sex scene with some pretty scenery selected, some additional cast members tossed in and a hastily-tossed-together-set-of-circumstances-forced-to-fit-from-start-to-finish, logical or not.

One interesting choice was a scene where Damien had his hand resting on the mother's bed and a fly was running all over his hand without the actor even seeming to notice the feces-eater spreading its filth upon him. Why on earth would the video editors not edit such a distracting thing out of the final screenplay? Could that have been a happy accident that occurred in filing they decided worked well as a subtle message? Could it be a deliberate allusion to the inexorable spread of death and corruption?

Sweet Picture

[ridz43 · 8/10 · 30 May 2017]

This movie was quite charming. While it was easy to anticipate a story of repressed adoration channeled in the form of antagonism, as is the case for many nonhetero- and questioning folks, it was very rewarding and exciting to see the two main characters come into their own, especially Thomas. Tension is a marvelous instrument and what I liked was that nothing in this movie was presumed or handed to you, everything took it's sweet time to present itself.

Beautiful character development, Damien and Thomas had great chemistry and rawness. To me, Thomas is crucial to the film, race is big (and I could go into that further). It was also not surprising that Marianne (Damien's mother) got such rave reviews. She was absolutely splendid, captivating the screen with her restrain, affection and depth!

Plenty of beautiful vistas to mirror the emotional range of all the characters... this IS a good film, one that I relate to and applaud, BUT in writing this, I am curious of the perspectives of those who are not accustomed to seeing these kind of romances/coming-of-age stories. So, I encourage any and all to see this, a movie that caters to its audience with characters who all feel, react and grow before your eyes.

I've watched this too many times to count

[xxmitchellxx · 10/10 · 21 November 2020]

Corentin Fila and Kacey Mottet Klein are brilliant at playing their roles--they showed the silent need and desire to get closer to another in such subtle yet strong details that I can't get over, and the writing and dialogue in this is just as strong!

I loved how all the side stories, the side struggles, etc. all came together full circle at the end of the film to a wonderful conclusion. I really felt like everyone in this film was a real person I almost had to remind myself it wasn't real. It was sad, and heartfelt, and enjoyable to watch and entertaining!

Not to mention, it touched so many deep subjects without ever losing sight of its main theme and purpose. I loved the development of Thomas from being sort of like Damien's bully to his lover--something which would usually be done wrongfully and be problematic, but transgressed so smoothly, it only worked to strengthen their bond.

The place this is shot at in France is jaw-droppingly beautiful and I loved the farm action going on in the background and the bonding scenes between the two boys and their families, it felt so whole and raw, even if it was just scenes here and there, I never was bored watching this movie and I've watched it several times now and haven't found much else like this that show a true interesting love development between two teen boys without being cringy or cliche.

If you haven't watched it already and love lgbt+ films or maybe just really love romances, this movie is definitely the one you want to watch!

Intense and Realistic film.

[forevahot · 10/10 · 13 September 2017]

Every single character felt so real and genuine.The acting was fantastic!The summary I felt was very basic but when watching the film, it's a way different experience. They did an amazing job of showing us the scenery without boring us to death and they were slowly falling in love.I loved how nothing felt rushed,the ending was beautiful and very touching. I'm so glad this film ended in a realistic but happy end for the gay characters. I'm so used to seeing sad gay films, it's so nice to see something so different. The parents figures played amazing well fleshed out characters, I truly felt for their struggles. So glad they didn't do the typical homophobic route but instead a more unique perspective. Overall,this has now become one of my favorite films.

Wonderfully engaging!

[mastrait · 9/10 · 12 December 2017]

A well-developed story line with great and realistic character development. The writers obviously believed in these people, and the actors were given the chance to flesh them out for sure.

The people are interesting, (and handsome,) the scenery is great and diverse. The changing seasons really added to the overall feel of living with these people in their real lives. Nothing is forced, the director takes his time to allow you to grow with these people, to really understand who they are.

If you want to see a great gay-themed movie that steps outside the box, this will be the one to watch.

love is an uneasy road

[cdcrb · 4/10 · 12 October 2016]

sometimes, the French have a way of making a short story long. this is one of those times. what could be told in a neat 80 minutes, techine takes 116. two young boys are attracted to each other and don't know how to handle it. over three long episodes they go from hate to love, with lots of complications thrown in. one of the boys' mother, a doctor, is a misguided busybody. the boys, who have had several incidents of violence with each other, end up living under the same roof. Damien, her son, doesn't know if he is into boys or just the other boy, tom. tom a loner, has a 90 minute commute both ways to and from school. apparently his grades will improve without the long commute. tom is finally expelled after punching Damien in the mouth. Damien's mother, when she asks what happened, is told that he tried to kiss tom. she is unfazed. it's that kind of movie. I am sure that some folks will be rhapsodizing about a beautiful love story between two youths, etc. not me.

Dramatic but not sad

[Alexandrexx · 9/10 · 19 June 2017]

I confess I'm a big drama addict, I can't take seriously comedies or any other genre for that matter. There is always a lot of drama in LGBT themed movies, specially if their main subject is first love and coming of age. But it seems there is a need for directors that treat this topic to make the characters that deal with their sexuality as hopeless and depressed as possible. In this film we can see the deep sensibility of the characters, specially the main role, but we can also appreciate a happy end - for once. Coming in terms with being gay may has been difficult in the past, but it shouldn't be so difficult anymore - times are really changing, and I would love to see that more on the big screen. Why should homosexuals deal with their sexuality in a different way than heterosexuals? I enjoyed this movie a lot, beautiful and deeply developed characters, tender love story and breathtaking landscapes.

A fine, realistic and sensitive movie.

[johannes2000-1 · 8/10 · 23 June 2018]

This is a very sympathetic movie, it pictures very realistically the insecurities and fears of two young teenagers who are attracted to another but don't know how to deal with these feelings. The one (Damien) understands his own feelings but doesn't know how to approach the object of his infatuation; the other (Thomas) is afraid of his feelings and copes with them with anger and rejection. It takes a lot of time and various dramatic circumstances before they finally find each other. I was especially impressed by the natural way of acting of all the actors (the boys, the mother) as if the director only handed out the story and let the actors spontaneously come-up with the right dialogues. The beautiful surroundings in the wintery mountains, at times very bleak and harsh, were a perfect background.

There were a few flaws too. The movie is a bit overlong, maybe the whole section with the father dying could have been left out, it didn't seem to have a substantial impact on the story of the two boys, it more effected the mother. And when the boys at last have a sexual encounter, it seemed a bit wild and maturely performed, I wonder if two totally unexperienced teenagers in their first night together really would have had sex in this way. But it is very sensitively staged and filmed. Otherwise: a very good movie, I can imagine that watching this really could make a difference for young people who are still insecure by their sexuality.