Oh, the pains of first love. Many a film has been created in memory of it, so the struggles of the protagonist of Lie With Me would likely be familiar. But what Lie With Me does so well is the way it depicts Stéphane Belcourt’s perspective, alternating between his late return and the memories that only he alone holds of his first love, the memories that still continue to make a mark in his life and writing. Leading man Guillaume de Tonquédec is able to subtly capture the anguish in his performance, and Victor Belmondo capture the hope to learn another side of his dad, but it is newcomers Jérémy Gillet and Julien De Saint Jean that capture the chemistry that makes the Lie With Me so compelling to watch.
"This sharp study of a writer’s longing is strikingly pensive."
— Emily Maskell
An author returns to his hometown of Cognac for the first time in 35 years to help promote a distillery. Once there, he meets his first love’s son, Lucas. Memories come rushing back to him: irrepressible attraction, bodies becoming one in the heat of desire, a passion that can never be revealed… His first love’s name was Thomas. They were 17.
After falling in love with Thomas Andrieu 35 years ago, famous novelist Stéphane Belcourt finally returns to his hometown, meeting his first love’s son Lucas.
Being an adaptation of a book, changes are expected, so it’s likely to be divisive for book fans.
It truly breaks my heart to learn that this was inspired by the author’s real life first love.
Berlin
1 nomination
