L'Amour (1990)
Directed by Philippe Faucon

Film Review

Philippe Faucon's portrait of adolescence is filmed with a striking realism which manages to convey some sense of the vulnerability and vitality of those harrowing yet precious teenage years.  With a cast of non-professional actors, filmed in daringly naturalistic way, Faucon comes as close as he probably can to making a convincing film about adolescence without it being a documentary. Whilst Faucon is to be credited on his unusual cinematic approach, the film places great demands on its audience. With so many characters, none of whom is explored in any great detail, the film does appear a tad superficial and aimless.

Film Synopsis

As their summer holidays draw to a close, the thoughts of a disparate collection of teenagers in the suburbs of Paris turn to love.  With adulthood just over the horizon, they find it is hard to resist the allure of love, but whilst some are looking for some no-strings fun, others are hoping to find something much more meaningful.  The indecisive Sandrine finds herself in a quandary, torn between her present boyfriend Didier and another lad, Joel, whose quiet charm is strangely appealing.  Meaningful long-term relationships are definitely not what Riri, Alex and Paulo have in mind.  They just want to chat up members of the opposite sex and have a good time - unfortunately, they are lamentably bad at it and have a great deal to learn about the female psyche...