L'homme que j'aime

After seeing Brokeback Mountain, I've been adding to my film library more gay-themed films. Because I'm a collector, I've been buying films I haven't seen before.

Some of them are simply awful in their script, acting, and/or direction, but remain in my library because of the "piece of history" they represent. And once in a while, I hit upon a truly outstanding film that surpasses expectations in all these ways.

L'Homme Que J'Aime ("The Man I love") is one such hidden gem. The story is moving, the characters charming, the acting believable, and everything put together by a competent director.

Like Brokeback Mountain, the story involves an ostensibly straight man falling for another man, but this time, the object of his affection is an openly gay man. To Americans, that may seem to stretch the realm of possibility too far. I lived in France for a year, and the plot line seemed perfectly believable to me in the context of French culture. Note also that this film was made for French TV... which tells me that the story was considered "mainstream" enough to be broadcast in France.

This little gem of a movie is available on DVD, and I highly recommend it. In French, with optional English subtitles.

"L'Homme que j'aime", which outside of France, is being shown as a theatrical movie at several festivals is an upbeat love story, albeit not your conventional love story. First, it is a gay love story. However, it is mainstream in that it is distributed by La Sept-Arte, and features Mathilde Seigner, one of France's most prolific youngish stars. This is a love story which conquers all. Seemingly unsurmountable difficulties are, at the end of the day, surmounted., and overall, the movie transmits a very positive message, unusual both in contemporary gay films and French films in general.

Interesting characters make this movie so funny. I hope we can see more movies like this in U.S. Although filmed in 1997, this made-for-TV movie is sure a great one that will be remember for a long time in its genre. The movie is about being not afraid to love and to look for love no matter what the situation is, and always be true to yourself! Hopefully, there will be a distributor to release this film here soon.

I Loved this movie. It was passionate, believable and just a beautiful film all the way around. One of those movies you don't just watch but you feel. Highly recommended for fans of foreign gay cinema! This director and all of the actors are superb!

L'Homme Que J'aime - The Man I Love

Sweet sad love story but not depressing

My Rating 7/10

I discovered : L'Homme que j'aime)while looking for another film it had been incorrectly titled on Vimeo so I think I was meant to be reminded of those sad days when we all lost our "Longtime Companions ." This is a beautiful love story produced for French television in 1997 and later released at the Cinema in 2001 as well as telling it a love story between two men which set in the early 1990's in when AIDS was still a death sentence and same sex marriage was only a dream . This movie highlights the Political ignorance and indifference that delayed treatment for men who were pleading for medical treatment and care had to take to the streets to demonstrate .

The movie introduces us to Martin (Marcial Di Fonzo Bo), a brash pool monitor and resident lifeguard Lucas (Jean-Michel Portal).

Martin becomes interested in the younger and attractive Lucas but Lucas has a live-in girlfriend, Lise (Mathilde Seigner). Lucas is initially resistant to Martin's courtship dance but there is obviously a spark of recognition and realisation of deeper feelings developing between the two men.

Lise starts to integrate Martin into Lucas and Lisa's social life. Lucas then begins to doubt his heterosexuality and starts falling for Martin. But Martin is declared HIV-positive, which forces Lucas to choose between the terminally ill man he starts to love and his first love Lise.

The motto "Live each day of your life as if it were your last" is the main theme of the film.

It's a very touching French movie and interesting to see a European view of this tragic era during the last World pandemic when Governments acted shamefully at a snails pace in funding medical solutions and care to the me and women who were suffering in stark contrast to our current Covid 19 World pandemic.