Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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72 of 75 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Everyone Adapts In His Or Her Own Way, October 26, 2004
"You'll Get Over It" is a fine French made-for-TV movie showing how coming out affects an individual and those closest to him. Vincent Molina (played by Julien Baumgartner) is the 17-year old anchor of the school swimming relay team, is about to graduate, and is a closeted gay. He has a long-time, virgin girlfriend, Noemie (played by Julia Maraval), and a non-virgin 'buddy', Bruno (played by Nils Ohlund). This works out until Vincent hooks up with a new student, Benjamin (played by Jeremie Elkaim of "Come Undone"). People know Benjamin is gay and make the link to Vincent, who has had a compartmented life. The movie shows how Vincent and those closest to him deal with their emotions as the situation plays out.
Vincent's initial withdrawal and distrustfulness are very realistically shown. The uncertainty and bargaining of his friends and family come through well. The acting is good thoughout.
There is considerable skin shown, from all of Vincent to Noemie to the swimmers and locker-room denizens.
While the movie centers on Vincent and his long-time network, I would have liked a stronger sense of how Bruno fit into Vincent's worldview and on why Benjamin and Vincent make a good fit. Jeremie Elkaim does not get much time on screen, despite his top billing and a good performance. The bonus features are just a picture gallery and some trailers.
I have noticed that recent French movies on a gay theme have been substantially better than their American counterparts. "You'll Get over It", "Close to Leo", "The Man I Love", "Confusion of Genders", "My Life on Ice", "Come Undone", and other movies all seem to have more depth of characterization and more willingness to reveal emotions, sexuality, and the human body than, say, "A Home at the End of the World".
You'll enjoy watching "You'll Get Over It".
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27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Realistic coming-out drama, November 1, 2004
In 2002's "À cause d'un garçon" ("You'll Get Over It"), 17 year old Vincent (Julien Baumgartner) deals with the aftermath of being "outed" at his high school, following an aborted tryst with Benjamin (Jérémie "Come Undone" Elkaïm), the new guy in town. The graffiti painted near his locker, the taunting from his classmates, the stunned reaction from his parents, even the open hostility from his brother are easier to deal with than being ostracized by the others on the swim team, possibly jeopardizing his getting a college scholarship. Only one team member remains on his side, while even a teacher believed by students to be gay refuses to help him deal with the reactions. Vincent explores the local gay scene, and is repulsed by the "meat market" atmosphere. His former girlfriend, Noémie, tries to be supportive, but eventually decides that she needs to put her own needs first. In time, his parents rally to let Vincent know he is loved "as is," and enlist the help of his swim coach to overcome the problems with the team.
A beautifully photographed and nuanced film made for French TV, depicting a coming out experience that teens can relate to, handled in a realistic and balanced way. Rated R, with male and female frontal nudity and similated sex. In French with English subtitles. No DVD extras besides the usual trailers and scene selection utility.
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
generally appealing coming-of-age film, April 30, 2005
***1/2
A sensitive film about both "coming out" and "coming of age," "You'll Get Over It" tells of a 17-year-old French boy's efforts to deal with his homosexuality. A championship swimmer, Vincent is a popular, well-liked kid at school and the apple of his parents' eyes at home. The problem is that Vincent is living a lie, keeping his sexuality a secret from his family, his two best friends, and the world at large. When Vincent is seen "consorting" with a suspected gay student, all hell breaks loose and Vincent is forced to deal with not only the reactions of those around him but the roiling emotions taking place deep within himself about what exactly it means to be gay.
Although the film feels a little too pat, contrived and melodramatic at times - kind of like an After School Special with subtitles and occasional flashes of nudity - "You'll Get Over It" wins us over with the delicacy, insight and compassion it brings to its subject. It shows us the myriad and sometimes surprising reactions from the people in Vincent's life - his parents, his "girlfriend," his best friend, his team mates, his swim coach and his teachers. The amount of outright persecution Vincent has to endure from his fellow students shows that even France - so often thought of as being in the forefront of all things sexual - has a long way to go in accepting gays. The movie also deals with Vincent's own conflicting feelings about being gay, as he contemplates a future filled with what he imagines to be loneliness and unhappiness. Like many gay people, Vincent lives in as much of a state of denial at times as the people around him.
The performances are excellent, particularly those by Julien Baumgartner as Vincent and Julia Maravel as Noemie, the girl who loves him and wants to help him, but who finds it hard to let go of him even after she discovers the truth. Baumgartner has a very expressive face that allows us to understand and identify with the external and internal struggles taking place in his character's life.
For the most part, "You'll Get Over It" has a nice, naturalistic feel to it. Director Fabrice Cazeneuve keeps his camera largely handheld and close to the actors, which heightens the sense of realism and intimacy this type of story needs to be effective. Unfortunately, the plot mechanics do intrude a bit from time to time, and the ending, while touching, does feel a little too conveniently upbeat to be entirely convincing. Still, "You'll Get Over It" serves as a valuable plea for understanding and acceptance, and that is a salutary goal for any film.
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