Grande Ecole
|
Our Price: $33.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $14.95 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of Grande Ecole
Movie Review: An interesting film that deserves a look!
Summary: 4 Stars
Grande Ecole is a beautiful, complex movie, that shines in many areas, and falters in few. In a nutshell, this movie is about desire and unrequited love. Sounds like a lot of movies out there, but this one is unique in its flavor and appeal.
The acting is superb for a such a young cast, and they all look the part, like gorgeous, wealthy, french lovers. I wouldn't mind being in their crew if I lived in the movie, that's fo sho! Five out of the six main characters will bare a lot of flesh, as well as two long shower scenes containing a water polo team sudsing up. It's not so much gratuitous nude scenes, but more to reveal the character's design, maturity, and vulnerability within the context of the plot. Believe me, you'll understand when you see it.
The ending had me wanting more. I wanted more character development, more connection between the differing subplots, and let's face it, more nude shots of Louis_arnault's body. :p
But seriously, I must give credit to the director for creating some really touching scenes. For instance, the scenes between the Arab worker and Paul had a genuine feeling about them; I could sense the discomfort of Paul's burgeoning desires to explore the male body, and the true love the Arab had for Paul.
So if you don't like reading subtitles (I tried to read it while stoned, fahgetaboutit!), high-falutin words, or the occasional lengthy philosophical dialogue, then maybe you should skip this one. But for all others, definitely check this dvd out.
Movie Review: AN HONEST LOOK AT SEXUAL CONFUSION....
Summary: 4 Stars
Robert Salis' "Grand Ecole", based on his play, is an honest look at college student Paul's (Gregori Baquet) confusion when he finds himself attracted to an Arab laborer (Salim Kechiouche)at school. Set at an elite Parisian business college, the film follows the tangled relationships of Paul's friends as well. It also confronts elitest attitudes towards race and class. While the film becomes complicated examining the various goings on, the script never varies from frankness and honesty. The actors are good and the photography is excellent. I felt the film leaned a little too much towards bisexuality, yet it's depiction of a young man struggling with his sexual identity in a stuffy atmosphere was very well defined. The music score got a little schmaltzy, too, yet it heated up at the appropriate times. There's a good scene when Mecir (Kechiouche) takes Paul to an Arab restaurant featuring live music and Mecir gets up and starts dancing by himself with total abandon to the exotic music. I liked that because it showed the cultural differences between the two. But are we really that different? This was a resonating theme throughout the film. "Grand Ecole" is very different from other films I've seen with similar themes even though it has it's (in my opinion) flaws. I recommend it with caution: it features a lot of full frontal male nudity which, for a French film, is not uncommon. But those uncomfortable with this should take note. However, I felt that this was just another part of "Grand Ecole"s honesty as a film.Movie Review: Leave it to the French!
Summary: 4 Stars
Leave it to the French!
This is a delightful - "almost" romantic comedy which goes dreadfully awry. While the film explores Paul's (and others) sexual curiousity, it is at the behest of his dreadful girlfriend, Agnes, who pushes and places her will and own desires above everyone else's. Alice Taglioni is marvelously, deceptively evil as Agnes. Look deeper into her sense of "freedom" and it becomes obvious - painfully so - how tortured this creature is and the lengths she will go to scratch beneath the surface - and destroy what wasn't wrong.
The attractive young cast has no problem showing off their bodies and the sense of "au natural" for once, feels "natural" indeed.
Along with sexual impropriety, confusion, friendship, obsession betrayal and deception "Grande Ecole" delves into social privilege and tolerance, racial prejudice, the class system and the death penalty. That all of this occurs in a university setting makes the film's title all the more relevant - that life itself is the great school.
Great performances by an outstanding cast with several real stand out performances.
The DVD bonuses are a plus - a look at the making of the film, and some visits to international festivals.
Movie Review: Two For One
Summary: 4 Stars
This is really two movies for the price of one.
It's a philosophical French film about class and race differences, sexual orientation and whether it really exists, and the ways that people manipulate and deceive one another. It does an OK job of this, though the heady dialogue sounds more profound being spoken in French than it reads in the English subtitles and the characters behave in ways that often defy believability.
It's also a cavalcade of nudity, as the DVD case should tell you, with both sexes coming in for their share of time under the lens. (Men are actually the winners of the full-frontal contest in this film, with multiple shots of the three male leads as well as a locker room shower scene that exposes the entire water polo team.) If you're offended by bare flesh, you will NOT enjoy this movie. If witnessing casual nudity and people unashamed of their bodies appeals to you, however, you may not care about--or notice--this film's overly-ambitious philosophical overtones or sometimes clunky but ultimately intriguing storyline.
Movie Review: Great Flick
Summary: 4 Stars
The movie takes a while to get into; actually it's better on the second viewing because you can focus in on the character shifts, story arcs, and other subtle changes. I brought this movie based on other's reviews and I have not regretted it. The special feature section which explains how the movie was made, charcter's development, and some of the rehearsals is great. My only disappointment came with the sex scences. Given the compelxity of the movie and its stories lines I expected them to be more graphic and explicit, they seemed a little "demure".