Le péril jeune

Cinemoi, the satellite French movie channel has been having a number of director Cedric Klapisch films showing on it recently; as well as this, Le Peril Jeune, his later 'Pot Luck' and 'Russian Dolls'.

I'd never come across or heard of Klapisch before this spate and it's immediately obvious that he's very comfortable around and capable making and directing young people. There's a naturalness that comes across supremely easily; he is never patronising to either his audience or his actors and he's keen to show all aspects, from the good and happy to really quite dark and bad.

Klapisch regular lead man, Romain Duris here plays Tomasi, whose friends gather as their pregnant friend Sophie's about to go into labour at the Paris maternity unit. Minus Tomasi, though as we're already told that he died just one month prior from an overdose and as they wait, they look back over and reminisce all the years when they met at school.

We're talking about the 1970s and so all the fashions and music are here. Klapisch always seems to include sex scenes and here we get quite trippy drug-taking, too. All five of our characters were active in some rebellious pursuit or another and in the days of political activism, we see them fight for their causes. There's all the excitable antics of youth; showing off, exploring the opposite sex and much else, including living in a communal squat.

Despite this film being almost unknown - look at the number of reviews here and on IMDb - this is a very well made and satisfying film, with a sparkling script. It doesn't take itself too seriously and you can just watch it as it is, without pretence or need of justification. Unlike some French drama, that can be 'charming' there's no room for whimsy here. And, not too exaggerated like many US youth films but believable and thus, satisfying. And because it's another culture to our own, endlessly fascinating, too.

Five guys meet ten years after high school and remember good times, reveal little secrets. A journey into their first joints, girls, riots...touching and very funny...a fresh laugh riot with a nostalgic background.

In France, we have a famous 80s comedy about lazy, funny teens in high school getting their diploma (« Les Sous Doués »). Here, it's the same thing but during the decade before, thus in the 70s : what's striking is the high politic and societal consciousness of those students (marxism, feminism) and their fashion style (wool) that dresses them like shepherds ! In the 80s, those 2 facts have disappeared but we had still style and education (I studied then), whereas nowadays, in the next millennium, those same classes are just hollow, stupid and dress in sport-ware all the time !

As a Klapish movie, we can discern already his future trademark : it's fresh, funny and he isn't afraid to play with the frame (here, when they are all stoned !). He knew already how to blend some serious matters (jobless, getting old and responsible, falling in love) in a light content. His casting was great as he was one who discovered Romain. All his buddies are cool too and i admit that the young English teacher is just amazing to shake a young shy student (like I was).

Second feature movie from Klapisch, and first of many with Romain Duris, one of his favourite actors, "Le péril jeune" is a masterwork, and a cult movie. It manages to capture the spirit of a time (mid 70s) and of a generation and relies to do so on a group of talented actors.

I can only strongly recommend you this movie and hope you'll feel its magic! Compared to others movies around that main story - a group of youth, having fun, going to school, growing into themselves, living - it does so with such freshness, you'll want too, to be part of that group It will make you come back to your school time - even if you're not part of that generation, like me!

On top of that, we can feel that despite telling a story incorporating personal memories, he does so while laughing at that memory and the movie is infused with that fact. It will then be honed and used very efficiently in its most known work "L'auberge espagnole'.

Whenever I see these films about youth, youth movements and what moves youth from times past, I ask myself what happened. Where did fire, anger, (intelligent) resistance, 1000 questions, the power of the word before the deed, etc. Go? I know this sounds like the exasperation of an old man, but then so be it. This nostalgic time travel somehow hurts and triggers questions, even though all was certainly not well in those days either. Something has obviously changed massively since the 2000s, namely technology and politics.

Social brutalisation through digital demystification and, here in the film, we are in wonderful France, the cradle of the revolution, the decomposition of our wonderful European culture through the flooding with completely alien origins.

Digressed (but not again), a very clear viewing recommendation and a little insider tip.