Plein sud (2009)

This is basically the story of a young man (Yannick Renier), who is haunted by childhood memories of his father's suicide and mother's subsequent mental breakdown. He is traveling to the south of France/north of Spain on an ominous mission that involves his mother and the gun his late father used to commit suicide. At the beginning of the story he already has two traveling companions, a brother and sister (Theo Frilet, Lea Seydoux). The uncertain sexuality of the protagonist is established in the opening scene where Seydoux's character does a very sexy striptease for him (that would have any man who's NOT very. very gay visibly aroused), but with no effect. He is more drawn to the brother, who is openly gay, but clearly he is sexually confused. A fourth person then joins the group, a handsome hitch-hiker (Pierre Perrier), who becomes a love/sexual interest for the nymphomaniacal sister (even though she is ALREADY pregnant when the movie begins). But this new additional too seems to have some bisexual leanings.The combination of melancholy flashbacks, beautiful scenery, and gay and straight sexual encounters kind of reminds me of "My Own Private Idaho". This isn't in the same class as that one(although some might consider it less pretentious since it doesn't break into Shakespeare in the middle). It's certainly a "gay-interest" film, but just like the French tend to make "teen films" that also appeal for adults, they tend to make "gay-interest films that also appeal to straight people (thus the presence of the tres luscious Lea Seydoux). This is necessary, of course, because the French film industry is much smaller than the Hollywood industry and their films need to find a more general audience, but it sometimes causes problems in America. "Blue is the Warmest Color", a more recent gay-themed film (also with Seydoux) was rejected by some segments of the American lesbian community because they felt the actresses and the sex scenes catered too much to heterosexual male fantasies. But is it really a good thing for ALL films about homosexuality to be relegated to some "gay interest" ghetto where they cater to the gay "community", but are not seen by anyone else? That's a valid question.It is a little ridiculous how incredibly attractive EVERYONE in this movie is. If Seydoux wasn't in this, I would have been seriously questioning my own sexuality since the three males in this are the three best-looking guys you're ever likely to see in each other's presence. The gay sex scenes in this are all pretty essential to the plot, but I'm not so sure about the three-way, nude Greco-Roman wrestling match the males all engage in during a beach party. But, of course, you could also say that about the striptease scene or the one straight sex scene. People will complain about "gratuitous" nudity, but no one complains that a shot of, say, a beautiful sunset is "gratuitous" just because it doesn't strictly advance the plot. The bigger problem is that Renier and other males are not the strongest actors in France, and Seydoux has been a lot better in movies like "Sister", "Farewell My Queen" and the aforementioned "Blue is the Warmest Color". This is definitely not a great movie, but it's certainly an ATTRACTIVE one giving the cast and the beautiful scenery of southern France. And it's quite accessible as far a "gay-interest" cinema goes.

Without being a driven action movie, this is an everyday story-film made interesting, without getting any of the answers. It's well done, the film work and photography, and there's a lingering underneath which makes you follow trough. If you're not searching for an action flick, that is.Young man Sam is still traumatized and maybe a tiny bit suicidal after seeing his father committing suicide while he was watching, struggling with his mother going insane as a result of her husbands death, following a row in their car. More than 15 years later Sam goes down south, to try to find his mother, together with some friends, without telling them what he's up to. On the way we since some affection between some of the four of them, a girl which has become pregnant and her brother, and another friend they pick up.It's a pleasant summery tale, where we are offered no solution or even a climax. We just almost there. I find that this makes the film interesting. More like real life. It's one of those films making you think, and remembering some of your own summer memories along life's rich pageant. Some might get disappointed by not getting the solutions, and an exact happy ending, but I find liking films which don't give all the answers, but leaves some to each and one of us, and our imagination.I haven't seen any other work of Director Sebastien Lifshitz, and when I realize this is the film of his that has the lowest score, I can't expect him to be nothing less than an interesting director. I'm sure to be on the look for more from his hands. Can't decide if this is a 6 or a 7 out of 10, and then I tend to go down. Still, it's worth watching if you like a story which doesn't give it all away.

As this story begins, we see Lea, a young woman, being examined by her gynecologist, she is pregnant. Her examination, evidently, does not surprise her. Together with her brother, Jeremie, they decide to hitch a ride to one of the Southern beaches. Meeting Sam, who is going South, they find a convivial young man who will help them get there.Sam makes a stop to see his younger brother, something that triggers in him a kind of sadness and despair about an incident he witnessed at a an impressionable age, seeing his father taking his own life while sitting in a car next to his mother. We never learn about the cause of such action as the creator of the film does not care to elaborate on the subject, which is obviously a painful scar in Sam's psyche. Sam, who is evidently gay, likes Jeremie, who obviously cares for him as well. Lea is out of the picture until the trio meet a young man, Mathieu, who picks up the undercurrent he feels is happening between his two companions. Lea, who likes Mathieu begins a romance with the young man among the everything goes among the young crowd at the beach.The mood changes as Sam takes a trip to see his own mother. She has been living in another part of the country. This woman suffered a traumatic shock being next to her husband when he decided to take his life sitting next to her. Sam, obviously older now, comes in to her new life, never expecting she has a man in her life who, for all appearances care about her that is evident. Sam, in a way, feels betrayed.Director Sebastien Lifshitz, whose "Come Undone", and "Wild Side", has done much better before. This effort feels empty in that nothing really is resolved in the issues Mr. Lifshitz and his co-writers, Vincent Poymiro and Stephan Bouquet present to their audience. It is an ambitious project, paling in comparison to the films that came before. The creators seem to be influenced by great French directors of the past, mainly Erich Rommer and Francois Truffaut, without the clear vision of the original models.Yannick Renier is an enigma as the adult Sam. It is clearly he is attracted to Jeremie, but his own trauma gets in his way. His relationship with his mother is also puzzling. Seeing her happy at last, he cannot express anything to her that will bring peace to the way he feels about her, almost making her guilty for what his father decided to do with his life. Nicole Garcia has nothing to do in the film as the mother. Lea Seydoux is another character that is not well developed in the story. Theo Frilet and Pierre Perrier complete appear as Mathieu and Jeremie, respectively. One can only wish Mr. Lifshitz success in his new projects.

I would have to agree with the reviewer who judged "Plen Sud" as regressive as far as the work of director Sebastian Lifshitz goes. "The Wild Side" was a fine film and "Presque Rien" simply outstanding."Plein Sud" has the feeling of a director out of control and worse a director devoid of vision. The film ambles, has unnecessary musical interludes and is imbued with an off putting vagueness of intention.Where the film fails most is the lack of chemistry between the players especially between the Yannick Renier and Theo Frilet characters. Liftshitz's previous films abounded with a sense of genuine feeling between the characters. Remove that from a film and not much remains.There are shots on the beach which are replicas from "Presque Rien" - and in my book that is not a good sign.There are films which exude a sense of everything going right - sadly, "Plein Sud" is the flip side.