'The French Kissers': A Debut of Good Technique
July 7th 2010 03:47
While The French Kissers – or Les Beaux Gosses (the original French title meaning ‘The Handsome Guys’) – doesn’t follow a well constructed plot as such; still, it is an enchanting rendezvous into the lives of a group of misfit teens from the north-west of France. The narrative tends to suit the protagonists, who have an aimless disinterest in most things in their lives, with the primary exception of relations with the opposite sex.
Hervé (Vincent Lacoste) is an unfortunate looking middle school student who lives alone with his mother (Noémie Lvovsky), a depressive and unconventional woman whose takes gleeful delight in discomfiting her son and interfering in his life, often bursting in upon him, grinning maniacally, wanting to know if he is masturbating.
This he does frequently, into a sock, and often in tandem with his best friend Camel (Anthony Sonigo), an Arabic boy with a long fly-away mullet, a fondness for denim vests and an obsession with the lingerie section of the mail order catalogues he took from his grandmother’s house after her death.
Together with the rest of their crew of oddballs, they spend their time eating bananas, playing Dungeons and Dragons, conjuring Hitler in séance to ask for forecasts of their sex lives, and most importantly, trying to ‘lock lips’ with any jeune fille who takes their fancy.
Hervé’s girl of choice is Aurore (Alice Trémolières). She is pretty and popular and enjoys shoplifting immensely, and, much to everyone’s surprise, returns Hervé’s attentions. They embark upon a turbulent relationship. Aurore is hot and cold toward Hervé, who desperately wants to have sex but is often aloof when it is offered. He is terribly unchivalrous towards Aurore at times, and is put off at one point after he sees her dirty feet.
To his friends, however, he is very possessive. Full of unfounded male arrogance and self-assurance of his sexual prowess, he boasts of his affair to Camel, who is eager to hear every detail of Hervé’s sexual experience, not knowing that the closest he’s come to actual intercourse is ejaculating in his jeans while kissing Aurore on her bed.
The boys are odd and incredibly awkward, with little decorum, but then most of the characters in the film are, including the girls and even their teachers. None of the teenagers cast in the film are trained actors, which lends a sense of reality, complete with braces and oily skin.
The ending lets the film down slightly, as it jumps to high school and shows a snap shot of how everything has turned out, but it doesn’t detract from the movie greatly. Overall, it’s a terrific debut from writer/director Riad Sattouf, and is one of the most unpretentiously funny and charmingly absurd films I have seen of late, with several moments that had me laughing in a highly raucous manner.
Michaelie Clark
Herve and Camel - Image courtesy of frenchfilmfestival.co.nz
“She’s hot, her eyes are blue as detergent.”
Hervé (Vincent Lacoste) is an unfortunate looking middle school student who lives alone with his mother (Noémie Lvovsky), a depressive and unconventional woman whose takes gleeful delight in discomfiting her son and interfering in his life, often bursting in upon him, grinning maniacally, wanting to know if he is masturbating.
“I gave birth to you.”
“You can’t jerk off in peace around here!”
“You can’t jerk off in peace around here!”
This he does frequently, into a sock, and often in tandem with his best friend Camel (Anthony Sonigo), an Arabic boy with a long fly-away mullet, a fondness for denim vests and an obsession with the lingerie section of the mail order catalogues he took from his grandmother’s house after her death.
“La Redoute 1986, page 320, lingerie, is on the couch.”
“That one’s mine!”
“That one’s mine!”
Together with the rest of their crew of oddballs, they spend their time eating bananas, playing Dungeons and Dragons, conjuring Hitler in séance to ask for forecasts of their sex lives, and most importantly, trying to ‘lock lips’ with any jeune fille who takes their fancy.
“I’ll hook Laura, Arabic style.”
Hervé’s girl of choice is Aurore (Alice Trémolières). She is pretty and popular and enjoys shoplifting immensely, and, much to everyone’s surprise, returns Hervé’s attentions. They embark upon a turbulent relationship. Aurore is hot and cold toward Hervé, who desperately wants to have sex but is often aloof when it is offered. He is terribly unchivalrous towards Aurore at times, and is put off at one point after he sees her dirty feet.
Herve practices in front of/with the mirror - Image courtesy of mubi.com
“When I look at shoe creases, I know if a chick has pretty feet.”
To his friends, however, he is very possessive. Full of unfounded male arrogance and self-assurance of his sexual prowess, he boasts of his affair to Camel, who is eager to hear every detail of Hervé’s sexual experience, not knowing that the closest he’s come to actual intercourse is ejaculating in his jeans while kissing Aurore on her bed.
“You jerked off on me?”
“No. I mean yes… I’m sorry, I couldn’t stop, your pupil was so dilated.”
“No. I mean yes… I’m sorry, I couldn’t stop, your pupil was so dilated.”
“I hope you use condoms.”
“Sure, I even used two once, so I’m safe.”
“I was like that.”
“It’s kinda like the inside of a nostril.”
“And a pointy thing enters your cock?”
“Sure, I even used two once, so I’m safe.”
“I was like that.”
“It’s kinda like the inside of a nostril.”
“And a pointy thing enters your cock?”
The boys are odd and incredibly awkward, with little decorum, but then most of the characters in the film are, including the girls and even their teachers. None of the teenagers cast in the film are trained actors, which lends a sense of reality, complete with braces and oily skin.
Herve's first kiss with Aurore - Image courtesy of abc.net.au
“Hey, it’s my snogging style. Everyone has to have their own style. Thank God we’re all different.”
“The movement keeps the drool in. There’s a current, like a boat with a propeller.”
“The movement keeps the drool in. There’s a current, like a boat with a propeller.”
The ending lets the film down slightly, as it jumps to high school and shows a snap shot of how everything has turned out, but it doesn’t detract from the movie greatly. Overall, it’s a terrific debut from writer/director Riad Sattouf, and is one of the most unpretentiously funny and charmingly absurd films I have seen of late, with several moments that had me laughing in a highly raucous manner.
Michaelie Clark
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Comment by David O'Connell
Screen Fanatic
Great to see you back writing about something other than SATC too.
Comment by Michaelie
Flick Wit
Herve's character reminded me of so many idiot boys from those days of early adolescence - total loser but with this streak of selfish arrogance! He is also rather cowardly and disloyal... a very amusing anti-hero.
And yes, SATC mania has passed for the present!
Thanks David
Comment by Steve Michaels
Steve Michaels Blog
Comment by Michaelie
Flick Wit