Thank you for your continued support from all at Curzon Goldsmiths! The latest from François Ozon is an unabashedly queer, hotblooded and hormone-driven romance set over one hot summer in 1985. Directed by François Ozon and adapted from the novel 'Dance on my Grave' by English author Aidan Chambers, Summer of '85 is a story of friendship and love between two teenage boys at a seaside resort in Normandy in the mid-1980s. The boys’ love is contained within six weeks, these “In Between Days", as echoed in the song of the same title by The Cure, which bookends the film. But devilish and spikey David sees himself as a free spirit and refuses to be tied down. At sea, time seems suspended; the fluidity and liminality, and the lack of rigid borders, allow one to explore or construct a new self. For Alex, it’s a lesson we can tell will imprint in his memory but for us, there’s something about the film that isn’t quite heady enough to stick. Summer of ‘85 is a story of friendship and love between two teenage boys at a seaside resort in Normandy in the mid-1980s.
After capsizing a boat on the sea, he’s saved by David (Benjamin Voisin), confident and slightly older, who immediately takes him under his wing. ETERNAL BEAUTY ... CURZON … Keep an eye on this page and our social media sites for updates as-and-when we plan to reopen. Ozon knows he’s late to the YA adaptation party, and Summer of 85 proudly, defiantly wears its uncool status on its sleeve throughout. BEING A HUMAN PERSON With Fred Scott.
Time seems to slow down and, again, David impacts Alex’s temporality. I’ve never managed to review a François Ozon film without speaking, at length, about how he is one of the few truly chameleonic directors working. On the surface, it seems like another similarity between this film and Luca Guadagnino’s beloved Oscar nominee would be the likelihood of generating discourse on the age gap between the couple. Romance, LANGUAGES:
If anything, Ozon’s film feels like a deliberate response to that hazy, nostalgic look at the worst decade in history for gay men – the period style of Timothee Chalamet and Armie Hammer dancing to the Psychedelic Furs has been replaced by multiple scenes of our protagonist going crazy for Rod Stewart’s ballad “Sailing”, to name one example as to why. But this is once again overlooking Ozon’s ability to bend to seemingly any genre that takes his fancy, with Summer of 85 representing an unexpected foray into the YA genre – an adaptation of a beloved 80’s teen novel that may have not brought that period setting forward to the present day but still ticks every box for a contemporary young adult story. With David, Alex’s hard built defences seem to erode, allowing metaphorical land and sea to merge in the wake of their love, just as the physical elements merge here, in this northernmost region of France. source: Curzon Artificial Eye. But we know this can’t end well for the pair before we even see them together, as we are introduced to our protagonist waiting for his court hearing following David’s death, putting rainclouds over their relationship before we see it blossom. He asks Alex, “why waste time? The song becomes a pivot which the film oscillates around. Considering its title, Summer of 85 appears to be a hermetically sealed story of love. There’s strong work from both Lefebvre and Voisin but Ozon doesn’t give their characters enough distinguishable colour and so there’s a limit to how much they can bring to the table. After a global summer indoors, the idyllic landscape quenches our longing for escape, providing a welcome rush of nostalgia, and the promise of more colourful summers ahead. He has been writing about film since the start of 2014, and in addition to Film Inquiry, regularly contributes to Gay Essential and The Digital Fix, with additional bylines in Film Stories, the BFI and Vague Visages.
It fades when it should burn. The nostalgia here is from the perspective of a young man looking back at his first love, and how that helped him realise his identity. Copyright © Curzon 2020. It’s one of the few coming of age love stories that manages to be equal parts swooningly romantic, and yet in full possession of foresight that of course this isn’t built to last forever – but when you get your first taste of romance, you don’t care that you’ve become embarrassing and lost your common sense.
They share an interesting discussion about mortality (Alex’s obsession with death exists because he’s never really experienced grief as opposed to David whose father died the year before) but it’s mostly paper-thin, if pleasant, flirting and when tragedy strikes, it doesn’t strike us hard enough. Bookings open soon! When 16-year-old Alexis capsizes off the coast of Le Treport, 18-year-old David heroically saves him. I left the film truly caring about the characters I had spent the hundred minutes with. All Rights Reserved. After a global summer indoors, the idyllic landscape quenches our longing for escape, providing a welcome rush of nostalgia, and the promise of more colourful summers ahead. French. Based on the British 1982 YA novel Dance on My Grave by Aidan Chambers, Ozon’s adaptation transports events to Northern France focusing on Alex (Félix Lefebvre), a death-obsessed 16-year-old in need of a friend during a long hot summer. The pair become inseparable on the beaches and dancefloors of sun-soaked Normandy. As you’d expect, the comparisons to Call Me By Your Name have come in thick and fast, and aren’t warranted on anything beyond a superficial level. © 2020 Film Inquiry. Featuring superb 80’s styling and music from Rod Stewart, Bananarama and The Cure. In fact, the mainstream, achingly nostalgic qualities of his latest effort have already led many to label this one of his weaker recent works, not just as it’s a less explicit variation on similar stories he’s told before, but also due to the superficial similarities it shares with another recent 80’s set queer coming of age film, set somewhere in neighbouring Northern Italy. Curzon is proud to be a Living Wage employer. Sun 13 … How will Alexis respond when he realises he can’t have David all to himself? Following the announcement of a second national lockdown, Curzon Goldsmiths has temporarily closed. When 16-year-old Alexis’s boat capsizes off the coast of Normandy, 18-year-old David heroically saves him.
The two become fast friends before something else more passionate quickly takes over. Alexis thinks he's just met the friend of his dreams. Last screened at HOME just before we closed, you can now watch this film online via Curzon Home Cinema.Use the discount code LOCKDOWN2 to get 15% off the rental price for this title (code valid until Wed 2 Dec). Over one hot summer in 1985 naive teenager Alexis (Félix Lefebvre) falls deeply and dangerously in love with David (Benjamin Voisin). Sign up below to receive our weekly listings and special bulletins from Curzon Goldsmiths. LET HIM GO: Slow-Burn Thriller Reuniting Diane Lane and Kevin Costner, BIG TOUCH: The Grandest of Small Gestures, KOKO-DI KOKO-DA: A Nightmarish Vision Of Grief, A CHRISTMAS CAROL: A New and Visually Striking Adaptation, Ridgefield International Film Festival 2020: Comedy Shorts, Ridgefield International Film Festival 2020: Psych Night Shorts, CONVICTION: A Timely and Relevant Film Outlining Why We Need Prison Reform, 5 Under-The-Radar Films from TIFF to Watch That Will Resonate with General Audiences, San Diego Asian Film Festival 2020 Report 1, The Propagandist Language Of Dinesh D’Souza: America’s Popular Far-Right Filmmaker, COVID’s Result on Form and Content in COASTAL ELITES VS GREY’S ANATOMY, 5 Under-The-Radar Films from TIFF to Watch for Independent Film-Lovers, Angelique Sabrina White And Jack Shulruff Explore The Hazards Of Advertising ROOMMATE WANTED, Exclusive Interview: The Evils of Narcissism Are Explored in Juliet Landau’s A PLACE AMONG THE DEAD, In Conversation With Peter Murimi And Toni Kamau For I AM SAMUEL, “I Wanted To Show That Your Second Home Oftentimes Feels Like A Shitty Home.” A Conversation With Cooper Raiff, Director, Writer, And Star Of SHITHOUSE, Giveaway: Win Tickets To RAMS [Australia Only], Giveaway: Enter For A Chance To Win BEETLEJUICE On Digital 4K, Giveaway: Enter For A Chance To Win THE GOONIES/SHERLOCK HOLMES 4K Bundle, Giveaway: Enter For A Chance To Win CADDYSHACK (40th Anniversary), Film Inquiry’s Seed & Spark Campaign Picks Of November 13, 2020, Queerly Ever After #38: THE FALLS TRILOGY (2012, 2013, 2016), Page to Screen: On THE GUERNSEY LITERARY & POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY and the Power of Sharing Stories, Queerly Ever After #37: LATTER DAYS (2003), A Beginner’s Guide to National Cinema Theory, Beginner’s Guide: George Miller, Writer & Director, The Beginner’s Guide: Josh & Benny Safdie, Writers & Directors, The Joker’s Smile, Part 3: The Final Joke (For Now…), The Joker’s Smile, Part 1: The 20th Century’s Most Adaptable Character, Louis Le Prince: The Unsolved Disappearance Of The Father Of Cinema, Critiquing The Critic: The Evolution & Function Of Film Criticism, Anarchic Cinema: Jean Vigo’s ZERO FOR CONDUCT, Anarchic Cinema: V-Cinema & Takashi Miike, The History of Hong Kong Action Cinema Pt.