Winter Boy
Original Title
Le lycéen- Director: Christophe Honoré
- Writer: Christophe Honoré
- Producer: Philippe Martin, James Benjamin Shannon, David Thion
CGiii Comment
Christophe Honore captures inevitable journey of self-discovery that Lucas (Paul Kircher) begins after the sudden death of his father. The emotional vacuum right after the accident is quickly substituted with the chaos of emotions - grief, guilt, solitude, desire, hatred.
To deal with the chaos, especially if you are only as young as the main protagonist, is doomed to be chaotic and unorganised too. The chaotic and contrasting nature of Lucas' actions is most apparent in his first days in Paris, where he experiences both profound religious experience and first making love with an anonymous, insignificant person.
Cheerfulness and joy burdened with sadness is an unimaginably difficult role to play but Paul Kircher does a wonderful job in conveying the emotional rawness and ambiguity. And so does Juliette Binoche, playing his mother. But it's perhaps this ambiguity that is so confusing for the young heart. What to believe in the world where sorrow is veiled under the scarf of joy?
Trailer...
The(ir) Blurb...
Honoré is one of France’s more unpredictable directors, but his films – including Sorry Angel, Metamorphoses and the musical Love Songs – inventively explore the complexities of passion. His latest, and one of his finest, Winter Boy follows 17-year-old Lucas who, after a family tragedy, joins his older brother (Vincent Lacoste) in Paris, where he embarks on an exploration of his sexuality. Or rather, he pursues it further, as Lucas is already very comfortable with his gay identity and desire. Energetic, lyrical and fiercely candid, this psychologically and emotionally mature film features the fine performances you’d expect from Binoche and Lacoste, but also a revelation in engaging and altogether fearless newcomer Paul Kircher.
Jonathan Romney
Cast & Characters
Juliette Binoche
Vincent Lacoste
Christophe Honoré
Xavier Giannoli
Paul Kircher
Wilfried Capet
Jean-Philippe Salerio (as Monsieur Loison)
Isabelle Thevenoux (as Sophie)