Petrelis Files

SF French Film Series: Gay Sexual Desire of 'Stranger by the Lake'

The always-anticipated San Francisco Film Society's annual French Film Now series kicked-off last night at the Clay Theater, and continues until Sunday with a beaucoup number of flicks worth checking out. I'll be catching three of the films.

Up first is "Michael Kohlhaas" starring the renowned and sexy actor Mads Mikkelsen, pictured on the right, and plays tonight at 9:30 pm. Program notes state:

Arnaud des Pallières’ austere and visually splendid medieval-era drama tells the story of  Michael Kohlhaas, a horse trader who is one day forced by a ruthless Baron to give over two of his prize steeds. When the nobleman’s subsequent mistreatment of the horses is revealed, Kohlhaas demands justice. [...] Though the themes and moral conflicts will be familiar to Game of Thrones fans, the remarkable style recalls Bresson’s Lancelot du Lac.

The film society sure knows how to appeal to cineastes with references to Bresson like this, guaranteeing attendance by fans of the great director.

Seems there's usually one gay-themed film in the series and this year it's "Stranger by the Lake". It screens on Saturday at 9:30 pm, and here's the description:

Alain Guiraudie’s analysis of gay male desire is set entirely in the environs of a cruising spot on the shore of a picturesque French lake, where men prowl the nearby woods for hook-ups. On the first day, Franck spots a devilishly handsome man named Michel but keeps missing his chance. Later, he sees the dreamboat do something terrible, but instead of running away Franck throws himself into Michel’s arms.

Appealing to local queer sensibilities, I think, the program notes informs that this is a sexually frank film. I better get there early for a good seat.

The final film I'll see is "Bastards", which closes the series on Sunday at an 8:30 pm screening. Whet your cinema-loving appetite with these details:

Claire Denis’ troubled and troubling new film, highlighted by Agnès Godard’s masterful cinematography [...] begins with rain and death and rarely lets up from there. For reasons at first mysterious, a sea captain named Marco Silvestri arrives in Paris and rents an empty apartment. Living directly downstairs are business tycoon Edouard Laporte and his mistress Raphaëlle, whose lives will intersect with Marco’s in dark and devastating ways.

I've long been impressed with Denis' work, the most familiar of which is probably "Beau Travail", at least to gay audiences because of all the hunky male flesh on screen as she examines tensions in a Foreign Legion unit, followed closely by her more recent "White Material" with a terrific performance by Isabelle Huppert.

Other films in the series are of interest but I just don't the time to see more of them. Check out the film society's page for French Cinema Now and watch some of the offerings.