Customer Reviews

A Love to Hide

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In a perfect world, all screenplays would be perfect. I'd like to be able to report that the screenplay to "Un amour a taire" (A Love to Hide) is perfect, especially as it covers such an important, and hitherto neglected subject, as the "reeducation" of homosexuals under the Nazis in Vichy France; but, alas, it is not. There are holes in the plot, and motivation is often unclear. In addition, the viewer is sometimes spoon-fed images that are intended to underscore important themes, but which just seem contrived. I am thinking, for instance, of the moment when Jean's father puts up the sign refusing to serve Jews at the family laundry. Remarkably, a young, beautifully turned out, Jewish woman, and her son, just happen to be about to enter the laundry. Jean then gets a chance to show his humanity when he takes the bundle of laundry she has come to collect out to the woman and lets her have it for free. But even this kind of manipulation cannot undermine the film itself, the lynchpin of which is a riveting performance by up-and-coming French superstar, Jeremie Renier (also so very good in "The Baby") as Jean. He commands attention from his very first appearance, and he maintains it until his tragic last. The entire cast is good, although characters are often underwritten, as in the case of Jean's lover, Phillipe. It's not until the very end of the film that we come to know, and understand, Jean's parents. But I want to recommend this film as a history lesson, one that demonstrates what comes of the kind of hate that takes a particular set of human beings and demonizes them. The tragedy is that this sort of thing is still going on today, particularly in countries like Iran, which recently hanged two teenage boys for being gay. The tendency exists even in America, where hate-mongers like Fred Phelps reutinely assign homosexuals to hell. I don't know how much a film like this can do to educate people, but I do know that such education is necessary. In spite of its flaws, "A Love to Hide" performs a valuable service in illustrating, as does the earlier film "Bent," how overmastering and dehumanizing a force hatred can be.

The movie revolves around 3 friends situated in France during WWII. Sara a young jewish woman loses her family and seeks help from her childhood friend the young Jean. He brings her to stay by his lover Philippe, who has connections with the French resistance.

When Jeans older brother gets released from prison, it brings with it a lot of trouble and very severe concequences for Jean and Philippe.

I can only recommend all to see it. It is a very wellmade film and a not to often told story. I can compare it with Bent, but much better and with a more detailed story.

I was lucky enough to see this movie at ImageOut 2006 - The Rochester, NY Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival. By far this was one of the best movies of the festival and one of the best movies I have ever seen. This is an absolute must see movie.

Awards:
Jury Award - Best Feature - Miami LGBT Film Festival
Audience Award - Best Feature - Miami LBGT Film Festival
Audience Award - Best Feature - Toronto LGBT Film Festival
Audience Award - Best Feature - Outfest: LA Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
Audience Award - Best Feature - Philadelphia Int'l LGBT Film Festival
Audience Award - Best Feature - Chicago Gay & Lesbian Film Festival

Warning: The evil and atrocities of WWII are not down played in the least.

An expertly crafted movie. The cinematography is stunning, the story complex and multi-layered, the acting superb. While at it's core it is a tender love story between two men, their relationship is set within the context of a family caught up in the horror of the Nazi occupation. The occupation lays bare the prejudices and character flaws of the various family members, and forces the family members to a brutally honest assessment of themselves and their inter-relationships.

There is little actual violence in the film, yet the sense of menace and danger is ever present. The violence that is portrayed is graphic and haunting -- and based on actual events documented by survivors of the gay holocaust.

This is an important film that documents the all too often ignored campaign of terror unleased by the Nazis against gay people, a campaign of terror that still is being waged in many countries today.

I had no idea that this movie would be as powerful as it was. I could sense from the bucolic and happy beginning that doom was in the air. Especially because this film is set in Paris during the German occupation. Doom becomes reality. Yet this story is told so perfectly and truthfully that I couldn't help but be swept up. Gorgeously made and acted. Bravo to all involved.

This was an excellent, devastatingly touching film of love, loss, and horror set in German occupied France. Don't look for heroes or your heart will break, don't root for underdogs because no one is perfect... this film felt authentic and honest, a history lesson that gave me the same bittersweet feeling that Schindler's List left me with.
The movie is nicely shot and very well acted.
Don't miss it.

'Un amour à taire' (A LOVE TO HIDE) is one of the more satisfying films to be released in a long time. From the writing by Pascal Fontanille and Samantha Mazeras, the direction by Christian Faure and a cast of gifted actors immersed in their roles, this story of love's survival in Nazi occupied Paris in World War II has many permutations and secrets not addressed before. This is one of those films that should be widely distributed and marketed for the large audience it is meant to address and inform.

Set in 1942 in occupied France, the Lavandier family - father Armand (Michel Jonasz), mother Marcelle (Charlotte de Turckheim), and son Jean (the gifted and handsome actor Jérémie Renier from 'L'Enfant', etc.) runs a laundry that successfully services all Parisians and even takes in the obligatory Nazi customers. Jean is the main helper and his father's idol: the other member of the family is Jean's younger brother Jacques (Nicolas Gob, an actor of ruggedly handsome good looks and talent) who is imprisoned for a year for trafficking stolen goods from the homes of Jewish families sent to the camps.

As the film opens we see young Sarah Morgenstern (Louise Monot) emerge from hiding in a house confinement that resulted in the Nazi slaughter of her family. Terrified, she seeks refuge with Jean, an old friend and flame from their childhood, as she has nowhere else to hide. Jean takes her in, gives her a job in the laundry, and arranges for her to live with Jean's lover of four years Philippe (Bruno Todeschini, the fine and handsome actor remembered for his role in 'Son frère'). Jean and Philippe understand the dangers of hiding a Jew: Philippe also understands the conflict of Jean's love for Sarah, platonic but real, and fears Sarah's injured feelings discovering Jean is gay. But the three become closely bonded.

In times of war, crises occur too frequently: Jean is seen dancing with a Nazi officer in a local gay pub he is attending with Philippe; Jacques is released from prison and falls in love with Sarah while continuing his underground life of criminal activity; the Jews of Paris are rounded up and sent to concentration camps (Sarah must pose as one 'Yvonne Brunner' with papers supplied by Philippe to avoid discovery); Jacques is thwarted by Sarah's continued love for Jean, rebuffing Jacques' advances; Jacques informs on Jean to prove to his parents that golden boy Jean is in fact gay; Jean is arrested but the arrest turns to horror when his sexuality is discovered and he is beaten and sent to jails and eventually the concentration camp in Dachau, brandished with the pink triangle forced upon gays the way the yellow star was forced upon Jews to segregate them and mark them for extermination.

The manner in which each of the family members deals with Jean's crisis forms the dénouement of the film: Philippe is exterminated, Sarah and Jacques marry and have a son named Jean, and the parents alter their views of the idiosyncrasies of their children when Jean is released at the end of the war a lobotomized zombie. The ending is breathless and difficult to watch.

Films such as this could stumble on the clods of poor taste or sensationalism, but this film avoids all that and instead brandishes a script that is intelligent, powerful, understated, and immensely moving. The cast is absolutely brilliant and the production fully realizes the look, the sound, and the feeling of Paris under Nazi occupation. This is one of the more moving films this viewer has ever seen: it will be added to the personal library for sure. Grady Harp, December 06

"Un amour à taire" ("A Love To Hide") (French, 2005) tells the story of Sara (Louise Monot) and Jean (Jérémie Renier), close friends from childhood camp, whose paths cross again years later during the Nazi occupation of Paris. Sara, who is Jewish, sees her parents and sister killed by the Gestapo after being double-crossed by someone who was paid to safeguard them, and seeks out Jean, the only other person she knows in Paris. Jean, now in his late 20's, works for his family-owned laundry business, and is secretly in a four year relationship with his boyfriend, Phillipe (Bruno Todeschini), who is involved in the French underground. Phillipe gets Sara a new identity, and Jean gets her a job in the laundry. When Jean's brother, Jacques (Nicolas Gob) gets out of prison on a smuggling charge, he is attracted to Sara, and first sees Jean as an opponent for her affactions. When he finds out that Jean is gay, he conspires with one of his smuggler contacts to have him detained for an evening by the police, then get released due to his "connections", thinking that would make both Jean and Sara indebted to him. This backfires when Jean's sexuality becomes known, and he is sent off to prison and eventually a German concentration camp, while things start to fall apart at home.

A highly emotional, engrossing and simply outstanding film, brilliantly directed and acted by a talented cast. First and foremost, it is a story about family, friends and love, at a time in history when there was little else that one could depend upon. Fremch with English subtitles, won 9 awards at major gay and lesbian film festivals. One of the most moving and outright BRILLIANT films I have seen in years! Five bold stars out of five!

This cinematic gem tells a touching story of love and its complexity in the lives of the characters. The protagonist must hide his true love. The childhood friend he's hiding to protect for persecution must suppress her romantic love for him. Further, his brother whom he trusts undoubtedly develops a hidden love for the best friend.

Betrayal by the brother--in a jealous rage--leads to unintended consequences, turning all their lives up side down. A beautifully told story of painful losses, you are taken on a hopeful journey that love will prevail despite dire circumstances.

This movie captured my attention from beginning to the end, which I felt was somewhat too anti-climatic. It's an amazing story of undying love with many unpredictable twists.

Christian Faure's A Love to Hide is a deeply powerful film. Set in Paris during the Nazi occupation of France, the film depicts the violent effects the Nazi criminalization of gayness. The story begins with Sara's (Louise Monot) escape from her home, after Nazi's have murdered her entire family. Out of desperation she contacts an old friend (and potential love interest), Jean, played with startling effect by Jérémie Renier. Jean convinces his lover, Philippe (Bruno Todeschini), to hide Sara, placing the three characters in an awkward love triangle that eventually leads to a deep friendship. Family politics between Jean and his brother Jacques (Nicolas Gob) lead to Jean's arrest by Nazis on charges of sexual deviance. The remainder of the film deals with Sarah and Jacques' attempts to get Jean released.

The narrative itself is dense with emotionally charged with issues of love, jealousy and violence, however, Faure ultimately fails to deliver on the promise of his powerful storyline. The first half of the film is a wonderful depiction of Jean and Philippe's relationship, the challenges of integrating Sara into their secret world, and the underground queer culture thriving in Paris. With the introduction of Jacques, the film fizzles into little more than soap opera. The film is further strayed after Jean is arrested, shifting its focus onto the blossoming relationship between Sara and Jacques.

Regardless of the narrative flaws, the film retains its effectiveness in the performances of all the lead players. Renier, in particular, depicts with equal sensitivity Jean's vulnerability and the strength he receives from his love with Philippe. A flawed effort, but noble nonetheless.