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Review by: Graeme Kay | Rating:
Two
AN ENJOYABLE look at a year in the life of Etienne (Tavares),
a 16-year-old ice-skating fanatic growing up in Rouen.
When Etienne is given a cam-corder for his 16th birthday, he
proceeds to drive everyone, his mother, his grandmother and Ludo,
his best friend, mad with his constant surveillance.
Through the lens of the camera, Etienne, a pleasant, well-balanced
and handsome lad, explores the agony and ecstacy of teenage life
in the 21st Century.
He is fascinated by his friend, Ludo's progress with women, so
much so that one of Ludo's paramours dumps him because of his
'creepy' friend.
But, strangely, Etienne does not show any particular interest
in girls himself.
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Instead, he develops a crush on his geography teacher, which
is unfortunate, since said tutor is about to embark on a relationship
with Etienne's mum.
When the three of them go on holiday together the plot begins
to thicken…
Despite a strong cast and some witty, sharply observed insights
into the working of a teenage boy's mind, Olivier Duscatel and
Jacques Martineau's home-video style film is perhaps a little
too slight to successfully sustain its length..
Yes, we do care about what happens to Etienne and his amiable
friend Ludo, but we do occasionally wish they'd get on with it.
That fault aside, however, for the most part this is an entertaining,
life-affirming piece of work that echoes the style of veteran
filmmaker, Eric Rohmer, and promises bigger and better things
to come for both the directors and their leading man.
If you've got money to burn see it at the cinema. If not, wait
for the video. But definitely give it a look.
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