MovieChat Forums > À cause d'un garçon (2002) Discussion > Curious...

Curious...

posted 17 years ago by ChoirBoyOC
7 replies | jump to latest

I've just watched this film for the first time, and I enjoyed it very much, but I was struck by an odd structural approach to it, and I wonder if anyone else had the same reaction.

It seemed to me that the film wasn't really "about" what it pretends to be about: to wit, the coming out and/or coming-of-age of a French youth. Considering that the relevant details are supplied very early on, and notwithstanding Julien Baumgartner's astonishingly expressive (and attractive, but I digress) face, the story isn't really about him. Rather, the bulk of the film concerns itself with the community and interpersonal reactions to his coming out and/or coming-of-age. Which is an odd way of going about it, but an approach that I enjoyed immensely. It sort of reminded me of Stephen Sondheim's Company, in that each scene is a variation on the theme with new participants, rather than an attempt at advancing a plot.

Anyway, I quite liked it, and I'm not at all bashing the film when I say this. Quite the contrary.

Oh, one other curious feature: I thought the subtitles were excellent. Some of the best I've ever read on a non-Criterion release. But they were curiously British in slang and spelling...

Who's with me? I want to program a French coming-of-age marathon featuring The 400 Blows, You'll Get Over It and La Souffle au Coeur [Murmur of the Heart]...

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] ChoirBoyOC 17 years ago

Put more simply, perhaps, I was saying that the movie is a lot more about everyone *besides* the lead character. Which is sort of strange, but cool.

The 400 Blows and Murmur of the Heart are both magnificent.

[–] leftbanker 17 years ago

CBOC - you are right that the movie does a good job of exploring the reactions of those around Vincent - and I think it's because the movie was done for prime-time French tv to reach the mass, mostly straight, family audience. As such, it gives us roll models, demonstrating positive, compassionate ways of dealing with the coming-out of someone we are close to in some way (friend, boyfriend, teammate, brother, son/daughter, pupil, etc.). I thought that Noemie endured a wrenching experience and reacted wonderfully, and Stephane's reaction as best friend was all you could ask. That Stephane and Noemie overcame their own anguish and anger and colluded to reunite Vincent and Benjamin provided a perfect ending (even though I never really found Benjamin convincing.)

If you liked Julien Baumgartner, take a look at my short posting in the "am I the only one who has seen this film" string.

[–] ChoirBoyOC 17 years ago

Mon Parisien,

I also love Juste une Question d'Amour, although I had a strange reaction to it. Yes, I wanted to go out with Cyrille, but more than that, I wanted to call my mom. The family dynamics in that film are so impressively and touchingly portrayed that it made me feel sort of lousy for being a somewhat distant son. Then I reminded myself that my parents are also somewhat distant, and it's not like they call me all the time either. :D Still, a great movie.

It's strange to me that both of these films were made for French TV. Can you imagine a US made-for-TV movie managing such sensitivity? Let alone filming ingenuity... Perhaps for cable, but never on network TV.

Ah well... what can one do, apart from purchasing obscure DVD's and showing them to everyone one knows?

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] metaforgirl 15 years ago

Juste une Question d'Amour is a film about family values, which is why it so rocked my world the first time I saw it. There are members of the so-called 'Christian' right whose heads would explode if it were aired in the U.S. Sadly. "It isn't a question of gay or straight, it's just a question of love." And Loren's beautiful eyes are so eloquent. Who could resist them?

[–] leftbanker 15 years ago

Who's with me? I want to program a French coming-of-age marathon featuring The 400 Blows, You'll Get Over It and La Souffle au Coeur [Murmur of the Heart]...

Sounds good, but how could you omit Les Roseaux Sauvages??

ps - can anyone out there help me with some of the dialogue (actually a monologue) from A Cause d'un Garcon? I'd really appreciate a transcription in French of Benjamin's explanation of his actions to Noemie. It comes late in the film, they're sitting in a cafe. I get about half of it, but between Elkaim's delivery and a passing moto, I can't really catch the rest.

[I think this is one of the really great things about the film - with all that's going on in their little threesome, Noemie and Stephane make the effort to bring Vincent and Benjamin together. I love the scene shortly afterwards where Stephane takes Vincent to the empty market to meet Benjamin - the heartbeat soundtrack and the exchange of glances between S. and V. are perfect. I run it frame by frame with the pause button and and have just about worn out my remote.]

"Nothing personal. Your name just happened to come up."