NQV Media is continuing its ‘The French Boys’ series in 2022 following the successful release of ‘The French Boys’ and ‘The French Boys 2’ in 2021. Both of those releases were packed with thought-provoking and entertaining shorts so I was excited to see what else they had up their sleeve for the series. ‘The French Boys 3’ packs in 6 shorts, showcasing even more of the queer experience for French boys and men.
Opening with Fabien Ara’s ‘Fairyocious’, the collection gets off to a very strong start. Alma (Capucine Lespinas) is thrown into a panic when her eight-year-old son Simon (Ange-Nicolas Castellotti) tells her that he wants to go to school dressed as a fairy. Not sure how to respond, Alma speaks with a neighbour to get advice and ends up roping in everyone who lives in the building. What transpires is a clever exploration of how sexuality is incorrectly lumped in with behaviour, with the neighbours speculating whether or not Simon may be gay, even though that’s not what Alma asked for help with. Perhaps, sometimes a boy wearing a dress is simply just that and nothing more.
Aurelien Laplace’s ‘The Graffiti’ steers the collection into comedy as the mayor of a small village and a local doctor find themselves at the centre of a rumour that they have had sex thanks to graffiti sprayed on the wall of a monument outside of a church. The two men back-and-forth about what’s happened and how to handle it, with often hilarious results. The short packs a lot into 10 minutes and it’s hugely entertaining.
The third short on the release is Florent Médina’s ‘Eva’, which finds young Gabriel (Eddy Wonka) visiting transgender prostitute Eva (Emanuele Arioli) to explore his sexual desires. Deciding he can’t go through with having sex, Gabriel begins to ask questions about Eva and her life, and it soon becomes clear that the two have a lot more in common than they first thought. Médina perfectly captures the confusion that young men can feel when they feel different, and ‘Eva’ is a beautifully realised story.
One of the first highlights comes on the fourth short ‘A New Breath’ from film-maker Nina Parent. Gabriel (Victorien Bonnet), a reclusive teenager, spends his days filming his depressed mother with his older brother’s video camera until he spies handsome dancer Antoine (Golan Yosef) at the beach. Drawn in by both his dancing and his looks, Gabriel finds himself sexually aroused by Antoine and he gets much closer to his subject that he expects. Parent’s short is a relatable coming-of-age tale that captures a young boy’s sexual awakening, and it’s breath-taking to watch.
In ‘Masculine’ from Zoé Chadeau two men – Arthus and Marin – enter into a conversation after hooking up earlier that evening. What starts off fairly awkward ends up turning into an enlightening conversation between seemingly polar opposite people. The two find unexpected common ground and the short challenges preconceptions that gay men can form about each other. It’s unexpectedly quite sweet and it doesn’t go where you think it might in the opening minutes.
The final short on ‘The French Boys 3’ is the strongest. ‘The Tightrope Walkers’ from director Gilles Tillet sees young Vincent (Solal Forte) hook up with older man Jean-Christophe (Manuel Blanc) after they meet on the beach. Having had unprotected sex, Vincent spirals into a panic when Jean-Christophe reveals information about his sexual health. Director Tillet turns what could have been quite a downbeat tale into one that has plenty of laughter and humour, putting an unusual comedic spin on a story that’s actually quite serious. It works well and the two leads have undeniable chemistry that ensures you stick with them.
‘The French Boys 3’ continues the high standard set by the other releases in the series and it is fast-becoming my favourite NQV Media strand. Not only does it highlight the incredibly high quality of film-making coming out of France in LGBT cinema, but it highlights so many different experiences that viewers are going to be able to relate to. I’m already excited about the next instalment!
Cast: Capucine Lespinas, Ange-Nicolas Castellotti, Emanuele Arioli, Eddy Wonka, Victorien Bonnet, Golan Yosef, Solal Forte, Manuel Blanc Directors: Fabien Ara, Aurelien Laplace, Florent Médina, Nina Parent, Zoé Chadeau, Gilles Tillet Certificate: 18 Duration: 96 mins Released by: NQV Media Release date: 4th February 2022 Buy ‘The French Boys 3’ now
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