April 29, 2023
FILM: WINTER BOY
STARRING: PAUL KIRCHER, JULIETTE BINOCHE, VINCENT LACOSTE
DIRECTED BY CHRISTOPHE HONORE
RATING: 3 stars out of 4
By Dan Pal
In Winter Boy, the new film from French filmmaker Christophe Honore, a 17-year old, Lucas, must deal with not only burgeoning adulthood but also the sudden loss of his father. The film takes place in roughly a three-week period when a roller coaster of emotions is felt by not only Lucas but his mother (played by Juliette Binoche) and brother Quentin (Vincent Lacoste.) They are an emotional family that is also very physical (warm embraces, fights, slaps, etc.) Their love is strong but volatile at times, particularly between Lucas and Quentin. However, they remain a solid family struggling with a difficult loss.
One refreshing aspect of the family’s love is Lucas’s sexual orientation. It’s clear right from the start that he is gay and his family has been very supportive of him. Separate from this, there are indications that Lucas has had previous episodes with his mental health. For instance, as soon as he has a moment to let out deep sobs over his father’s death, he’s immediately given a tranquilizer to calm him down. The scene, played so effectively by Paul Kircher as Lucas, is one of the saddest of the entire film. Anyone who has ever lost someone will feel his pain. It’s a shame then that the medication levels him off a bit. Why not let the boy feel? But then this might be how this particular family handles extreme emotion.
That is, I believe, partly what Honore is trying to say here. Grief is handled differently by many people. In Lucas’s case, freeing him from over contemplating his father’s death may be ineffective in the short run but may help him in the end. His mother suggests he spend time with his brother in Paris. While Quentin is out during most days, Lucas spends his time wandering streets, talking to a priest, meeting up with strangers, and developing an attachment to Quentin’s roommate Lilio. Honore doesn’t express that any of this is wrong or right but is just Lucas’s particular approach to healing. Some of it works, some of it doesn’t, but Lucas does grow during this period eventually leading to some real feeling.
The idea of growth and changed is laced with some strong religious motifs. Lucas’s discussion with the priest emphasizes the power of death, how it can lead to hope, and then resurrection. Fortunately, the message is not presented in an overhanded way. Honore allows the experiences to flow naturally and uniquely for Lucas. Ultimately it’s a pretty interesting character study and arc with or without the spiritual messages.
Another aspect of this film worth mentioning are the face masks used by characters in indoor public spaces. Clearly the production was made during the height of the pandemic though it’s never mentioned. Perhaps Honore foresaw that many people might continue to wear masks for quite some time after the start of COVID-19. Then again, maybe wearing masks in some of these scenes was the only way Honore could finish the film. Will this date it? Possibly. As it is, the film now feels about a year behind what we see in most public settings today.
In the end though, I think the universal need for grief, hope, and resurrection will always make the film resonant with many viewers. It’s filled with a roller coaster of emotions and also performances, raw reality, and careful plotting that will never feel out of date.
Winter Boy is currently playing on the streaming platform MUBI. Amazon Prime is currently offering a free trial of the service which features mostly art and independent films. It’s worth checking out.
FILM: WINTER BOY
STARRING: PAUL KIRCHER, JULIETTE BINOCHE, VINCENT LACOSTE
DIRECTED BY CHRISTOPHE HONORE
RATING: 3 stars out of 4
By Dan Pal
In Winter Boy, the new film from French filmmaker Christophe Honore, a 17-year old, Lucas, must deal with not only burgeoning adulthood but also the sudden loss of his father. The film takes place in roughly a three-week period when a roller coaster of emotions is felt by not only Lucas but his mother (played by Juliette Binoche) and brother Quentin (Vincent Lacoste.) They are an emotional family that is also very physical (warm embraces, fights, slaps, etc.) Their love is strong but volatile at times, particularly between Lucas and Quentin. However, they remain a solid family struggling with a difficult loss.
One refreshing aspect of the family’s love is Lucas’s sexual orientation. It’s clear right from the start that he is gay and his family has been very supportive of him. Separate from this, there are indications that Lucas has had previous episodes with his mental health. For instance, as soon as he has a moment to let out deep sobs over his father’s death, he’s immediately given a tranquilizer to calm him down. The scene, played so effectively by Paul Kircher as Lucas, is one of the saddest of the entire film. Anyone who has ever lost someone will feel his pain. It’s a shame then that the medication levels him off a bit. Why not let the boy feel? But then this might be how this particular family handles extreme emotion.
That is, I believe, partly what Honore is trying to say here. Grief is handled differently by many people. In Lucas’s case, freeing him from over contemplating his father’s death may be ineffective in the short run but may help him in the end. His mother suggests he spend time with his brother in Paris. While Quentin is out during most days, Lucas spends his time wandering streets, talking to a priest, meeting up with strangers, and developing an attachment to Quentin’s roommate Lilio. Honore doesn’t express that any of this is wrong or right but is just Lucas’s particular approach to healing. Some of it works, some of it doesn’t, but Lucas does grow during this period eventually leading to some real feeling.
The idea of growth and changed is laced with some strong religious motifs. Lucas’s discussion with the priest emphasizes the power of death, how it can lead to hope, and then resurrection. Fortunately, the message is not presented in an overhanded way. Honore allows the experiences to flow naturally and uniquely for Lucas. Ultimately it’s a pretty interesting character study and arc with or without the spiritual messages.
Another aspect of this film worth mentioning are the face masks used by characters in indoor public spaces. Clearly the production was made during the height of the pandemic though it’s never mentioned. Perhaps Honore foresaw that many people might continue to wear masks for quite some time after the start of COVID-19. Then again, maybe wearing masks in some of these scenes was the only way Honore could finish the film. Will this date it? Possibly. As it is, the film now feels about a year behind what we see in most public settings today.
In the end though, I think the universal need for grief, hope, and resurrection will always make the film resonant with many viewers. It’s filled with a roller coaster of emotions and also performances, raw reality, and careful plotting that will never feel out of date.
Winter Boy is currently playing on the streaming platform MUBI. Amazon Prime is currently offering a free trial of the service which features mostly art and independent films. It’s worth checking out.