Juste une question d'amour

Laurent (a vibrant Cyrille Thouvenin) is a 23-year-old agricultural student in Lille (with a passion for poetry) who knows he's gay but lets his parents think he's straight and that his roommate Carole (a sweet Caroline Veyt) is his future wife. He's held in this bind by the fact that a gay cousin, Marc, who was like a brother to him, came out only to wind up dying rejected by his parents, an example of in-family homophobia that seems to have been all too well accepted by his own mother and father. Laurent has been on a downward spiral in school ever since Marc's death. Marc's parents are around at family parties, the mother a basket case on tranquilizers, the father stolid and still unforgiving. This angers Laurent, but the trouble is that his mom and dad, who run a pharmacy, are very dear to him. He loves his parents; he loves family; and he loves kids. But he's stuck in a charade. It's already hurting Carole, who's more than a little in love with him, though she knows full well about his sexuality.

All this has to change when Laurent is attached as a trainee (stagère) to a nursery and lab run by the slightly older Cédric (sexy, soulful Stéphan Guérin-Tillié) and they fall in love.The more grown up and independent Cédric is impatient with Laurent's playing the "little hetero to mom and dad." When he came out to his mother Emma (Eva Darlan) 11 years earlier on the death of his dad, Cédric said she could "take it or leave it." Laurent's pretense is exploded from an unexpected source. The film takes us sympathetically through the pain of Laurent's parents and Emma's efforts to help.

The special virtue of Just a Question of Love is its balance. If it's primarily from the point of view of Laurent, and secondarily Cédric, and takes pains (though it's joyful, not painful) to make their love real (without any explicit nudity or sex though, just passionate kissing), it's just as much about the parents' difficult journey toward understanding of their sons' sexuality.

A beautiful gay coming-out-to-the-parents film that had an unusually high viewership and almost universally positive response when shown originally on French TV, this has meant a lot to a lot of gay men, especially young ones thinking about love and conflicts with parents and the kind of "intense love relationship such as I dream of having and regret not to have had up till now," as one young French blogger typically put it. In IMDb comments that rate it, it has gotten nothing but a 10/10: enough said? Splendid performances by everybody, especially Thouvenin, Guérin-Tillié, and Darlan; this is far more than a "TV movie" and like some of the best contemporary French films, manages to be both elegant and emotionally direct.

With his looks and personality, Cyrille Thouvenin is irresistible in the film: he's always running and leaping, troubled, acting out, but also bursting with youthful energy and smiles. The restrained but warm Eva Darlan is also very memorable. This is the kind of film a gay man can watch over and over, with much pleasure and some tears. Doing so is also helping my French quite a bit.

'Juste une question d'amour' is a small film made for French TV that is one of the most sensitive, unbiased examinations of how the 'coming out' of gay men impacts not only the one who bravely steps forward but also his friends both male and female and his family. So often films such as this fall under the title 'Queer Cinema' and that is as unfair to the audience as it is to the writer and director of the film. This film is meant for the general public and should it receive higher profile in publicity, many longstanding prejudices would at least have the chance to be questioned by both gays and straights.

Laurent (Cyrille Thouvenin) lives with his parents Jeanne (Danièle Denie) and Pierre (Idwig Stephane) behind the family Pharmacy. Laurent is secretly gay though he lives with his best girlfriend Carole (Caroline Veyt) who adores him and wholly accepts his sexuality and is content to serve as a 'front' for Laurent's closeted role with his parents. He is not doing well studying agriculture, primarily due to the fact the his close cousin Marc died recently and had been disowned by his aunt and uncle when he announced he was gay. Laurent can only see that he must keep his secret so that his parents (whom he loves deeply) will not be 'injured' by his admitting his sexuality. His marks in school are so poor that he is instructed to do an internship in field agriculture to raise his academic standing. His assigned tutor is Cédric (Stéphan Guérin-Tillié) who lives an openly gay life with his warmly understanding and loving mother Emma (Eva Darlan) in an idyllic garden setting that also serves as Cédric's agricultural research lab.

Though instantly attracted to each other, Laurent maintains his closeted life until Cédric reveals his affection: the two become happy, passionate lovers. All goes well until Cédric insists that Laurent be in an open relationship, a state that would demand that Laurent inform his parents of his preferences. Laurent, fearful that his parents would disown him as his cousin was treated, flees and it is only after Cédric's mother Emma, a woman who loves the fact that her son is in a healthy relationship and longs for Laurent to allow his parents to love him for who truly he is, takes it upon herself to confront Laurent's parents with the truth. The manner in which this initial trauma affects each of the characters forms the platform for the resolution of the story.

This is a brave film, very intelligent and sensitive and informative, and is made all the better by the excellent cast. Each actor gives characterizations that are completely credible and three-dimensional: none of the too familiar stereotypes are here. It is to the credit of director Christian Faure and his co-writer Annick Larboulette that JUST A QUESTION OF LOVE succeeds on every level. This is one of the most quietly powerful stories about same sex challenges to be addressed on the screen. Highly Recommended for ALL audiences. In French with English subtitles. Grady Harp, May 05

It was interesting to read the stats that 6.3 million viewers saw this film when first aired in prime time on French public network. Shown on prime time, the public and critical response was overwhelmingly enthusiastic.

Well, I concur.

This is a most meticulously produced film that far transcends the television medium. Christian Faure's direction is excellent and the leading actors, Cyrille Thouvenin and Stephan Guerin-Tille, are superb.

I have no negative criticism of this work, and only hope it will have the widest possible showing in regular movie houses. Too good to let lie unseen, it took five years from its making in 2000 to be released on DVD. Hopefully, this is only the beginning. Good work can't be kept a secret, and this is certainly one of the best-ever made-for-TV films.

I cannot tell you, with any great insight, the lessons to be learned with this film or the messages it may send to those who do not (choose not to) 'understand' homosexuality. That's not to say they are not there, or that this film fails to make those connections because it does. It speaks for those mistreated, it makes clear the tragedies that come with this prejudice, and does so - in my opinion - without being preachy, or pointing angry fingers.

For me, it is simply a story of love. A love that proves to be so special, that the two main characters - Cedric and Laurent - are willing to make crucial decisions, and changes in their lives for its survival. It is these two men; with their boyish behaviors - the joking, teasing and name calling - and the easy way they are together, that make this film. Superbly acted, this is a story that you can believe in.

Very impressive, well done. All the actors, actresses were very good at doing their parts.

There is one mistake that I found. I thought that whoever did the make up did an excellent job, especially on Laurent's mother Jeanne. She was so radiant when she was visiting her son, then she became so old after she learned that her son is gay. So after I finished watching the show, (I am surprised that it is not a movie.) I watched that chapter again. To my surprise, her hair was up when she was standing at the door. Then later on, when she was relaxed in the room, all of sudden, her hair was down again.

Everyone looks so natural, it doesn't seem as if they were acting. It is as if they were really people with real problems. I also like Cedric's mother - Emma, she reminds of someone that I know, very elegant.

This story is well written, it is not predictable as you watch from the beginning. And it seems that it could be just anyone's problem, whether it happened in France or in the US. There will always be parents like them, and sons like those two. And that is what is so great about this TV show, real life like story. well done!