An ‘Indian Boy’ challenges family tradition in sweet romcom

The name Alain Guiradie may not be familiar to most Americans, but if you’re referring to fans of “Stranger by the Lake,” Great Cinema (especially great). Queer Film) is undoubtedly going to immediately recognize it as the title of the most successful film ever by a French filmmaker.

A 2013 thriller, which won position in the “United Nations Respect” section of the Cannes Film Festival that year and achieved international success, captivated a story of tense and erotic charm between two cruisers on a gay beach. Tension, mystical, explicitly in the way, its Hitchcock blend of suspense, romance and provocative psychological quests has become a dark but attractively sexy thrilling ride that has been hit by both critics and viewers.

Since then, he has continued to make stunning films in Europe, becoming a favorite not only in Cannes but also at other well-known international festivals. His films continue to elaborate on similar themes of the intertwined impulses of desire, fear and violence that began their nationwide deployment at US theatres last weekend. In fact, it brings together all the familiar threads and creates something that feels like an answer to the questions he has raised throughout his career. But to get to that, he creates, twists, and leaves many other questions intact, in order to create a story of the secrets and hidden connections of the small town.

It is centered around Jeremy (Felix Kysil). Jeremy (Felix Kysil) is an unemployed bakery returning to a rustic timber village where he spent his youthfulness for the funeral of his former boss and leader. A visitor who was welcomed to the man’s house, dead by his widow Martin (Katherine Frotto), decides to extend his stay when he reconnects with his old home and his memories. However, his lingering presence raises jealousy and doubts from her son and his own former school chum – Vincent (Jean Baptist Durand). It won’t take long for the situation to break out into a violent conflict. Jeremy gets caught up in a web of complicated dangers and deceptions that appear to be rooted in implicit feelings and hidden relationships of his past.

What’s hard to write about a movie like “Misericordia” is that there aren’t many things that can be revealed without ruining some of its mysteries. It is almost impossible to discuss that plot in detail, or even address some of the deeper issues that promote it, without giving too much. Because it’s like “The Lake Stranger” and many other films by Guiladi. Please don’t We know as what we do. In fact, in previous scenes, we are not even sure about the relationships between the characters. Jeremy is probably the son of a repatriated sergeant, and has the feeling that Vincent may be his brother or ex-love. Some of these cloudy details are revealed, while others do not, but some implicit odds appear with a bit of skill in reading between lines. It’s little important as new shocks and surprises come our way as the story progresses. In fact The main character, we are not really sure what Jeremy’s true intentions are. Needless to say, they’re good or bad.

It’s not sloppy writing, but it’s a carefully crafted design. By leaving it wrapped in silence packed with much of the film’s “backstory,” Guiraudie, who also wrote the script, reminds us that we can’t really know what’s in someone else’s head (or ourselves, or ourselves). It is the same harsh theme that was in the dark center of “Stranger,” and is perhaps given (slightly) eerie treatment, but still makes us contemplate ourselves and contemplate what we want to get or who want.

As for who wants what “Miselicordia” it is often as mysterious as everything else in this seemingly drowsy little village. Throughout the film, sparks flying between people often carry mixed signals. Sex and hostility seem to be trapped in an uncertain dance. It’s hard to know if the audience will take the lead just like the characters. If you think the contradictory tones of the subtext are how sexually adventurous (and fluid) wonder these Randy villagers really make under their polite and grounded exteriors, the unexpected liasons are unquestionable.

But despite all its dark morals and guilty secrets, and despite the evil motifs lurking behind the surface of a healthy small town, Guiladi’s idyllic film noir is beyond that, and an incredibly humane layer has risen above it. Spoilers we want to avoid.

But the very title of the film is found where we find a clue that refers to God’s merciless compassion for the suffering of humanity in Catholic tradition, which translates literally as “mercy.” It spends much of that time and illuminates the troublesome details of private human behavior, but the journey it takes is often very miserable, “Misericordia” opens up to all of its broken, stunting and even toxic characters. Guiraudie treats them not as heroes or villains, but as flawed, confused, and completely relevant people. Ultimately, we may not know all Of their dirty secrets, we feel like we know They – And by knowing them, you can find a share of mercy in all its focus, for their worst.

It’s worth mentioning that it’s also a film with a lot of humor and is full of comically ridiculous character moments. Leaded by opaque honest xyl and delicately provocative moments, the cast is forged the perfect ensemble to create playful tones of ambiguity – moral, sexual, and otherwise – it is essential for Gilady’s sly, and ultimately wise observations about humanity.

And they come across — but what truly resonates with “Miselicordia” is that they never cover its deliciously deserted narrative, or never dilute the finely tuned tension his film maintains to keep your heart pounding while you take it all in.

We already want to see it again to tell the truth.