L'acrobate

This is a very difficult title to review. On one hand, so much of this film does it right - the cinematography, the acting, the very real sex scenes. But on the other hand, there's also a lot that this film gets wrong (pacing, character motives, etc) and it in turn results in a rather confusing story that is never truly solved by the end. The film is beautiful to look at, and I've never quite seen unsimulated sex presented in such a way on screen, except for maybe the film Love, so that was somewhat of a treat to see play out since I was not expecting that. However, the cons of the film outweigh the pros, and the film never really gets to the point and leaves the viewer to analyze these characters on their own. Sometimes that's a good thing, but in this case, it's just frustrating. Especially after a majority of this film centers on a very frustrating premise as well as long (and I mean excruciatingly long) scenes of construction work and lingering exterior shots; the film should by no means be as long as it is. Overall, this is definitely not one of the worst gay films I've seen but it's also nothing to gush over.

The plot is realistic and believable. The acting is good, the cinematography is perfect. The sex scenes are real and this gives it that feel like you are listening to a friend's story.

I feel it as a personal experience. Because it is wise crafted, honest in profound manner, shocking for direct manner to explore a relation and for fair use of bitterness and close cinematography, for acting and for the feeling after. An appartment, two men - a French man and a Russian artist -, a mix of sado - masochism and addiction, frustrations of one , ended with a terrible revenge, the deep loneliness of the other , losing his mother, accepting cruelties of the other,large slices of love - affection-loneliness- experiences and little more and something very emotional, escaping to words, descriptions, verdicts. Short, just a special film or, more simple, an experience. Inspired music,the building site as frame and metaphor for story, clashes and the cold end. And a lot of fantasies, experiences, desires maybe, in some measure, to familiar.

I had the opportunity to view this remarkable new French-Canadian film and it left me wanting more. I was totally taken by the intensity and sexual tension between the two main leads. A careful, even at times subdued performances created a sensually charged atmosphere and I was captured by it instantly.

Without giving away too much, I would say that finally we have reached the age of honesty and truth in gay filmography. At times I did not believe I was actually seeing such level of intimacy from the leads. It was a completely new experience for me. It was not cheap or sleazy affair. On the contrary, I felt the characters as if I was in the room with them. To be able to take one's viewers right into the scene takes a lot of talent from the director and the actors. it is a unique achievement. Simply put, I believed them.

I hope that we will see more of Yury Paulau - a new discovery of this feature - and Sébastien Ricard - who is a seasoned actor with many titles which I venture out to find now.

Rodrigue Jean, the director, made a courageous, honest film and I applaud him. Needless to say I will be looking for his previous and hopefully future work.

Go and see this film. You won't be disappointed.

I first watched this film last year and didn't totally get it. Now I'm able to embrace it more.

The use of explicit sex is really on point, which is quite a rare case among the films with the same approach.

Brave filmmaking. And shout-out to the two leads, they did a tremendous job.