Quand on a 17 ans

In 'Being Seventeen' we meet Damien (Kacey Mottet Klein), who is surprised when his mother Marianne (Sandrine Kiberlain) calmly accepts his declaration of sexual attraction to a classmate. But why would she be surprised? Damien's candy-coloured rhinestone earring hardly shouts 'macho man'. But it is fair to say he is not the stereotypical film closeted homosexual: he enthusiastically takes boxing lessons from a friend of his army pilot father; and he is not even sure whether it is men generally he is attracted to, or just that particular classmate: Thomas (played by male model Corentin Fila).

The trouble with Damien's attraction to Thomas is that the latter bullies the former. But when Marianne, the local doctor in the Pyrenean community, hospitalises Thomas' weak, pregnant mother, she invites him to stay with her and Damien, and so the two boys are thrown together...

There are occasions when this film loses the way: Damien and Thomas are plainly the centre of the story, so sequences focusing exclusively on Marianne seem pointless and add little to the main story. But Kiberlain certainly provides a decent performance as the friendly mother who chats happily to the boys while serving them a glass of after-school wine (did I mention this is a French film?), before a personal tragedy means she must pull her life back together. Fila and Klein are given likable characters to play - Thomas concerned by his mother's condition; Damien the bully's victim - and also turn in good performances.

But the best aspect for me is the scenery: director André Téchiné gets the best of filming in the Pyrénées, with the endless snow-covered mountains (most of the filming seems to have taken place during the depths of winter) gradually giving way to deep, verdant valleys as the film and seasons progress. But it is not just a travelogue - this film is well worth seeing for its take on awakening sexuality.

So this is what being 17 feels like?! This is a slow-moving, mundane yet beautiful, subtle drama that captures the bleak lives of two teenage boys, both living in different family backgrounds. Accompanied by constant shivering snowfalls, they both end up feeling 'something' between them.

This is a simple come-of-age story that doesn't show us usual intensity of gay relationships or obvious flow of surging passion (that concludes with I-love-you or I-like-you confessions). On the contrary it is more about wavering confusion and love-hate tension that grows between two adolescent boys studying in the same institute.

What makes it different from other gay films of similar themes is its ability to grip your attention and tease you with slightly puerile curiosity about: "will they come together?"

There are several unique elements that work as essentials of this story: sense of solitude, fierce jealousy, suppressed infatuation, silent expectations, teenage ego, and of course, the urgent hatred that often emerges from helpless, pent-up affection.

I especially loved the natural, engaging and poised performances of two young actors who seemed to know what they were supposed to do on screen - they appeared quite involved and effortless. Exhilarating indeed!

I wasn't really sure what to except out of this film, but to classify it as simply an LGBT film would be a great disservice to what it's doing. There aren't just two leads here, there are three, and that is crucial to the importance of it. The screenplay is layered and filled with small gestures and moments that mean a lot to the characters, but ones we have to be attentive to. This is a little film made out of moments like that and if people aren't used to it and don't like that kind of storytelling, they may not take to this film. It's subtle and very nuanced where it counts, and that's why it stands apart from the rest of its like.

In a small town in the mountainous Pyrenees region of France, two teenage boys in the same grade have an intense dislike for each other: Damien (Kacey Mottet Klein) who lives in a pleasant house in town and whose family is well-off; and Tomas (Corentin Fila) who is bi-racial and adopted by a farm family whose home is a long distance from town. Lurking beneath the mutual contempt is a sexual tension.

The beautiful location enhances the charm and depth of this moving film. In addition to the story of the two boys, there are subplots in each of their families that add greatly to the story overall. While the story of the boys' conflict seems to linger too long, the movie can be credited for being unpredictable and full of surprises.

The characterization of Tomas is particularly rich and filled with contradictions. In one moment, it is easy to despise him for his bullying ways; in the next moment, it is easy to pity him for his difficult daily life and the uncertainty due to a change that is about to happen in his family. Though not explicitly explored, he also has the difficulty of seeming to be the only non-white person in the small town.

The actors are both great in their roles as is Sabine Kiberlain who plays Damien's mother and is also a doctor. She's very nurturing in both roles and is also quite touching as someone in a crisis in the movie's second half.

By the film's end, one has compassion for all of its characters. - dbamateurcritic.

This movie was quite charming. While it was easy to anticipate a story of repressed adoration channeled in the form of antagonism, as is the case for many nonhetero- and questioning folks, it was very rewarding and exciting to see the two main characters come into their own, especially Thomas. Tension is a marvelous instrument and what I liked was that nothing in this movie was presumed or handed to you, everything took it's sweet time to present itself.

Beautiful character development, Damien and Thomas had great chemistry and rawness. To me, Thomas is crucial to the film, race is big (and I could go into that further). It was also not surprising that Marianne (Damien's mother) got such rave reviews. She was absolutely splendid, captivating the screen with her restrain, affection and depth!

Plenty of beautiful vistas to mirror the emotional range of all the characters... this IS a good film, one that I relate to and applaud, BUT in writing this, I am curious of the perspectives of those who are not accustomed to seeing these kind of romances/coming-of-age stories. So, I encourage any and all to see this, a movie that caters to its audience with characters who all feel, react and grow before your eyes.