Direction: François Ozon
Country: France
François Ozon, who spread unforgettable cinematic pleasure with titles like Under the Sand (2000), Swimming Pool (2003) and Frantz (2016), disappoints with Summer of 85, a heartsore coming-of-age farce centered on two contrasting gay teens. From minute one, we notice that Ozon opts for an extroverted pose and a touch of madness to tell a story that was loosely adapted from Aidan Chambers’ 1982 novel Dance On My Grave. Unfortunately, that strategy became more silly than sensible, and besides manipulative and overstuffed, the film wrestles with plot contrivances.
Félix Lefebvre and Benjamin Voisin play Alexis Robin, 16, and David Gorman, 18, respectively. They meet under stressful circumstances during the summer vacations at a Normandy’s seaside town in the mid-‘80s, with their relationship evolving into something deeper than just a mere friendship. Both are troubled youths in a way: Alexis, a difficult kid fascinated by death and corpses, is in love for the first time, while David, an inveterate seducer, doesn’t prescind from casual romantic adventures, something that his new partner is not willing to tolerate. The apparent strong bond between them is put to test when Kate (Philippine Velge), an English visitor who speaks supersonic French with an annoying accent, piques David's interest.
This trio of characters was made so uncompromisingly unappealing, and among the cast, only Valeria Bruna Tedeschi (Human Capital; It’s Easier for a Camel), who plays David’s garrulous single mother, deserves some credit, especially in the film's earlier part.
The script already wobbles along the way, and completely crumbles in the last chapters, becoming embarrassingly ludicrous (oh, that scene in the morgue…) in its pseudo madness and bromidic conclusion. There are oodles of coming-of-age films available, and Summer of 85, a lamentable misfire, doesn’t elevate the genre in any possible way.
