Théo & Hugo: París 5:59

One can only hope that the opening-sequence of this movie (an extensive, totally uninhibited and extremely graphic account of a gay sex orgie, that takes like 15 to 20 minutes!) doesn't scare too many viewers away. This would be such a pity, because then they would also miss out on what actually is a very original, insightful and endearing feel-good movie.

Don't get me wrong: as in-you-face as the opening-sequence may be, it's absolutely crucial to the story, introducing the two main characters Hugo and Theo, and making their instant mutual attraction understandable. Maybe directors Ducastel and Martineau could have toned it down a bit and still make their point, but as it is, with no prudish restraint whatsoever, it gives the movie a very honest, almost refreshing openness, that totally fits the premise of a passionate sex contact that starts a chain of events that brings Hugo and Theo not only physical but also emotionally together.

The narrative has a clever outline, everything takes place in the last hours of the night, both guys alternately cycle, walk or run through the nightly streets of Paris (an evident metaphor for a miniature coming-of-age journey: through the dark into the light of the morning!), while in the meantime, by talking, fighting, kissing, bickering and making up again, they gradually get to know each other and more and more let their guards down.

Both actors Geoffrey Couët and François Nabot do a great job, they not only are both attractive to watch, but they are also totally convincing as the instantly smitten but cautious and tentative lovers, and one can only admire their courage to go all the way to comply with the director's need for ultimate realism.

I've watched this movie two days ago and it's still the only thing I can think about. Since I'm not familiar with director nor writer, I can't compare this masterpiece to their other work, but I refuse to believe you can do any better than this. I enjoyed every second of the controversial 20-minut scene. I think it's far away from pornography, although it's quite explicit, it's a modern age avangarda, artistically and tastefully put together. I love that there is no intruduction to that scene like walking toward the club, we just suddenly find ourselves underground, in the middle of a gay orgy. I've watched so many gay movies and movies in general, and I have never in my life seen something so extraordinary. The only director who can come close to this is Gaspar Noe in his Irreversible when it comes to showing things the way they are, and we have to appreciate their courage. Scene is enchanting, all the redness makes it more erotic and the atmosphere is calming, you can feel their pleasure. Naked male bodies are aesthetically pleasing, genlty wrapping around one another or just standing and enjoying themselves watching the scene in front of them. Pleasure they give to each other gives us pleasure while watching. Those man are regular people with regular jobs, like two of our main caracters, you see them every day, jet at night they are ''making love and contributing to humankind'' to paraphrase Hugo. That's a unique way to describe an orgy, and when you think about it you have to agree. When Hugo and Theo finally got together you are able to feel they are made for eachother. Two complete strangers experiencing catharsis thouching one another, appreciating every part of themselves and the other one. Now everything around stops, camera is directly focused on them and in front of us is a long scene of vulnerability and self-conciousnes, exposure with a mistical scent. I won't write about the rest of the movie, don't want to give any spoilers about what's about to happen, just wanted to share my appreciation for the director and his courage to make such a scene. Truly unforgetable.

The first 20 minutes is pure pornography. It is not done distastefully but it is still pure pornography. While that scene is essential to the entire story, it could have been shortened to a lesser 5 or 10 minutes of lesser explicit sex without jeopardizing the story line. But if you are turned on by gay orgies then you have nothing to complain.

But it is after that marathon sex scene that the film took on a completely substantial value. The performance by the two young actors is good but what makes this a masterpiece is the overall story line and flow. It is a real-time film, meaning the time frame of the story being depicted is the real time frame of the length of the film. It really draws you in - if you allow it to. In typical French fashion, it's the undercurrent tension that grips you rather than anything in-your-face. On a deeper level it reminds me a little of Crime and Punishment (Dostoyevsky), not in the nature of the plot but in the subtle yet strong alternating waves of emotions: between morbid fear and banal carefreeness; between romance and anger; between naive innocence and bitter reality; between hope and despair, all happening with the dark, ordinary yet enigmatically charming Paris, as the stage (you won't see any glimpse of the Eiffel Tower, nor the Sacre Coeur nor the dirty ghettos - you see the real Paris ordinaire). It is a plot that lends itself perfectly to French cinematography and style; a story that screams to be given the very French treatment of film making.

French queer filmmakers Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau's seventh feature, Paris 05:59: THÉO & HUGO alludes as much to Agnès Varda's CLEO FROM 5 To 7 in its relation to the real-time plot device, as to Richard Linklater's BEFORE… trilogy, where two individuals are trying to build something intimate and meaningful through small talks in a spontaneously perambulating pace.

But, as a testimonial to the filmmakers true grits, the film takes a bold and sensational initiative to instantaneously put off the prudish and conservative alike, by kicking off the movie with a lurid hardcore sex orgy inside an iridescent bar through the eye of a predator seeking his preys, and then setting its focal point to our two titular protagonists struck by coup de foudre and beginning to consummate their libidinous thrusting in the accompaniment of trippy beats and day-glo lights, but with a consequence, which Ducastel-Martineau duo tactfully explores as the brunt of what happens later that night when they exit together from the bar at 04:47 A.M.

The film does a cracking job in establishing the "sex first, love later" scenario in a post-AIDS 21st century, when carnal impulse receding, the two strangers, both are satisfying with their physical encounter, make tentative steps to know each other from the scratch, and their bonhomie hits a halt when a felix culpa pans out, and the duo must re-connect their rhythm and re-consider their possible future within an approximate one-hour time-line as the film finishes precisely at 06:00.

More often than not, a film hyped by unsimulated sex sequences would suffer from being made light of its less grandstanding elements, for example, Ducastel-Martineau duo's apt punctuation of commentaries concerning those socially marginalized: a hospital devolves the night shift to its distaff employees, homophobia vituperation pelted to the sexuality minority, a Syrian immigrant's perspective on freedom and a senior chambermaid's impromptu babbling (and a resultant blooper for the sharp-eyed), all add a touch of political angel but never overstay their welcome.

The two leads are giving a wholesomely winning and empathetic performance (if it sounds like an understatement after their corporeal sacrifice of leaving nothing to imagination), Geoffrey Couët inhabits a somewhat rustic complexion into Théo's wide-eyed-ness, and François Nambot as Hugo, often takes the lead in their conversation with his youthful urbanity and amiability, a smitten, can-do spirit has no affectation and pretension, which makes the ineffable ending such a boon to be appreciated, not just for their hard-earned chance, but also for Ducastel-Martineau's ingenuity and seeming effortlessness (a keen eye of a nocturnal locus under the unadorned lighting arrangement) of conjuring up something extraordinarily honest, heartfelt and aesthetically arresting out of an ordinary story arc, it is never too soon to signpost this film as the new landmark in today's ever-progressive queer cinema-scape, because the battle hasn't been (completely) won yet.

Very well done! Explicit nudity, erections, and what appear to be both actual sex scenes and simulated sex scenes, if I'm remembering correctly. Definitely not for the kids! When two young men meet at a french sex club, they are so caught up in the moment, they don't have safe sex, and the film shows what takes place after that. Mostly great acting, great direction. And the scenes of paris were fun to see. Currently showing on tubi streaming. Seems to be a project by the team of olivier ducastel and jacques martineau. Serious subject matter, but ends on a good note. It's not dark and dreary, as the lgbt films were for so many years. Will be curious to see what other projects they have done.