367. Summer of '85 (Été 85); movie review

 

 

SUMMER OF '85 (ÉTÉ 85)

Cert 15

100 mins

BBFC advice: Contains suicide references, brief bloody images, sexualised nudity

In 1985, I was 22 but I have to confess that I was nowhere near as stylish as Alex (Félix Lefebvre) or David (Benjamin Voisin) - the key players in François Ozon's Summer Of '85.

Secretly, I would have loved to have looked cool in a sleeveless shirt or slicked back hair but personal flair was a long way out of my reach.

Therefore, I went the other way and was probably the least fashionable young fella in Britain.

However, there are nice touches to Ozon's movie which did spin me back 35 years - not least its soundtrack and the rather fetching period get-ups of English girl, Kate (Philippine Velge).

The movie's central figure, however, is Alex whose lived is saved by super-confident David after his boat capsizes during a storm

Immediately, he is entranced by this handsome fella who bulldozes him into an intimate friendship.

Alex is a more than willing participant, having fallen for David at first glance and seeing him and his rather liberal mother (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi) as the height of exotic.

On the face of it, David and Alex's love is so intense that it appears to be more than just a summer fling.

However, David is a boundary-pusher and, consequently, Alex is going to struggle to keep him in check.

The Summer of '85 is mysterious and dramatic. The audience is lulled into being pleased for Alex and David that they have found each other but will fear that they are both playing with fire.

The film is convincing until its last 20 minutes or so when its crescendo is strangely low-key and its finale drags on.

If they had better execution I would have rated it higher. Nevertheless, it is enjoyable and I was impressed by Lefebvre and Voison.

Oh, I also should make comment on Velge's Kate who is working as an au pair. 

Velge is Belgian so when she speaks French with an English accent she over-exaggerates to the point of sounding like a female version of 'Allo 'Allo's policeman.

Perhaps that was intentional and Ozon's way of adding to his movie's charm.

Reasons to watch: Dramatic and mysterious romance

Reasons to avoid: Misses its crescendo

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: Yes

Nudity: Yes

Overall rating: 7.5/10

Did you know? In the summer of 1985, the world stopped while we all watched Live Aid concerts which raised many millions to help the starving in Africa.

The final word. François Ozon: “When I read the book, I was dreaming of becoming a director but I didn't know it could be a reality. It was like a dream and in my dreams I said to myself, if one day I make a feature film, it would be this one. And I had to wait more than 30 years to make it." Evening Standard

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