Apenas uma Questão de Amor

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.

This powerful, humane, intelligent drama was made by, and appeared in prime time on, France 2. It received just three letters of protest along with thousands praising its astonishing young actors and their memorable story. Try to imagine such a positive, thoughtful film on American broadcast television; one simply about the impassioned relationship between two men. No one gets sick, beaten up, or dies. It's just a question of love.

Cyrille Thouvenin (so wonderful in another must-see, Confusion of Genders) stars as angry, frustrated, deeply-closeted Laurent. He is terrified to come out to his parents because they are so virulently homophobic. He witnessed his cousin's coming out: disowned, thrown out, and died without his family around him. Laurent lives in fear with his best friend Carole, who goes along with the fiction that she is his girlfriend for the benefit of his parents.

Then he meets Cedric (handsome and exceedingly sexy Stephan Guerin-Tillie), with whom Laurent has a college internship. After a rather combative start (neither young man is particularly adept at 'making friends'), sparks fly, and the two revel in a joyous fling as they discover love. The heat, happiness, and fervor they project is palpable, gratifying, and genuine.

The problem is that Cedric is up front about his sexuality and makes a huge deal about Laurent coming out; Laurent is truculent, defiant, and refuses to consider it. Carole is tired of the charade and has a love of her own to nurture. Everyone wants Laurent out, but he is immobilized. When Cedric's mother impulsively let's the cat out of the bag, Cedric and Laurent's private world falls apart. How they, their parents and friends, deal with the consequences forms the crux of the illuminating story.

This transcends being just another 'gay' film. It is about learning how to love. Gay, straight, old or young, all must learn. As for Laurent and Cedric, rarely has a simple "I love you" been uttered with more poignancy on film.

Being American, it is difficult watching subtitled foreign films. We have such a genre of films in this country as it is. It also makes someone stop multitasking to sit and read the script. It was a pleasure and an uplifting experience watching this movie. It is SO difficult coming to terms with being gay and seeing "sterityped" films with gays on drugs, whoring around, and eventually dying of AIDS. This is one of the few films that positively deals with love between two men and the difficulties that truly must be overcome. True love will make the most jaded, closeted gay person throw all cares and insecurities to the wind. I mean, whose life is it anyway??? What an uplift!! Please watch this movie!!

Excellent!

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!