Germain even ends up physically appearing in the stories as we see them unfold, so it all gets very postmodern indeed. Whether it’s completely satisfying by the end is debatable but it’s an enjoyable and stimulating ride.
Veteran French filmmaker François Ozon has adapted this intriguing film from Spanish play, The Boy In The Last Row, by Juan Mayorga. You can see its theatrical roots with the strong emphasis on dialogue, and it's a refreshing change to watch a film that serves up some interesting intellectual points, referencing a host of literary and art works and philosophising on the nature of what makes art art. What is reality and what is fiction? It's sometimes hard to tell in this story, where high school teacher Germain (Fabrice Luchini) nurtures the writing talents of his student, Claude (Ernst Umhauer), who shows promise after writing an essay about spending time in the house of fellow student, Rapha (Bastien Ughetto). Sounds innocent enough, but Claude's musings are a bit disturbing as he describes Rapha's happy family life with intimacy and some cruelty. Germain sidesteps the uncomfortable lack of ethics and takes pleasure in reading Claude's essays to his art gallery-owning wife, Jeanne (Kristin Scott Thomas). Things get complicated when Germain encourages Claude's visits to Rapha's house and seems to be influencing Claude's actions while there, in turn influencing the stories he writes. Germain even ends up physically appearing in the stories as we see them unfold, so it all gets very postmodern indeed. Whether it's completely satisfying by the end is debatable but it's an enjoyable and stimulating ride.
In cinemas Thursday 27 June.