| French Kids, Growing Up |
|
| written by talltale |
July 11, 2006 - 2:08 AM PDT |
|
6 out of 6 members found this review helpful
|
Part of the 2006 Rendezvous with French Cinema Today series presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center, COLD SHOWERS introduces new filmmaker Antony Cordier to the U.S. This writer/director has made only two short features previously but his grasp on character--and how it evolves from parents, peers, place and class--is promising. The story of a barely-middle-class youth, his girlfriend and the well-to-do martial arts classmate they befriend presents a fairly rich tapestry of social and sexual mores, including one of the hottest sex scenes I have witnessed, which is capped by a somehow even hotter, post-coital shower-and-clean-up scene. (Cordier chooses to film the sex in shadows and near-darkness, which is appropriate for the location and time-of-day, while the full-frontal, post-sex scene is brightly lit.)
The lead character--and unfortunately the movie itself--never quite recovers from this mid-point "event," but as it winds down, the film appears to be saying that (1) the female is innately able to handle friendship, sexual attraction and their cross-over more easily than the male and (2) a male with money and position negotiates all this better than one without. I'd agree, though I would have liked to see Cordier force his characters into a bit more self-awareness and communication. But perhaps that's his point: At this age and under these circumstances most kids just can't manage it. In any case, "Cold Showers" is definitely worth a watch--which, post-movie, should provoke some very interesting discussion. |
|
|
Your cart
© 2006 All Media Guide, LLC. Portions of content provided by All Movie Guide®,
a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.