This indie film is a really powerful look at how a community can suffocate you and the hidden corners young people have to find just to be themselves in so many European towns, even with all the progress we've seen lately. The whole story plays out while the town is bracing for a massive, raging flood, and you just can't shake the feeling that some kind of intense reckoning or unavoidable doom is headed their way. To be honest, I didn't go in with super high expectations, but the way it’s put together makes it a seriously compelling watch. Plus, it’s not every day you get to see an LGBT-themed movie coming out of Croatia! The story follows Marko, a popular 18-year-old kid who seems to have it all—he’s got a girlfriend, he’s a competitive arm wrestler, and he’s well-liked at school. When he isn't in class, he’s usually hanging out with his brother, who has a disability, or helping his mom out in her greenhouse. Everything gets flipped upside down when a guy named Slaven ...
Francois and Maite are close friends but not lovers. Maite likes him but she knows she is not in love with him. One night Francois discovers he is gay, when he is seduced by an athletic guy Serge from his class. Serge i snot gay. It is just a sexual adventure for him in school. But post this encounter, the 2 of them become good friends and Francois keeps hoping that something more will follow. We also meet Henri, who is originally from Algeria, a couple of years older than the others and is try cynical. He ultimately ends up falling in love with Maite, who is supposed to be his enemy and a hated communist. Francois is also attracted to Henri but does nothing about it. Serge breaks his relationship with Francois on the pretext of marrying his dead brother's wife and staying in the village. He is also secretly in love with Maite. The film ends up no one finding true love ultimately. Maite doesn't reciprocate Serge's love. Henri and Maite make out and have sex but cannot be together since Henri is leaving town and Francois will have to move on to find his true partner in life.
The film came out in early 90's and hence the setting i smote from that era. The actors chosen to portray these characters were just right and they had an innocent charm about them that the teenager characters demanded. The scene where Francois meets an older gay gentleman and wants his advice is done very well. It represents the desperate search for a way to destroy the lowliness, incomprehension, and lack of role models that are destined by his sexual orientation. Many of the viewers would be able to identify with the characters because we all would have faced one or more of the preachments that our protagonists in this film are facing. The kids handle the struggles in the typical manner of kids. Sometimes they don't handle them very well and other times they show remarkable grace and common sense.
I would recommend to watch this, except don't expect too much of a gay theme is this film. (6/10)
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