If you're into coming of age movies this one is a treat.
The story of Bastien and Chloe is one that you might have seen before but the characters are so well written that you feel like you are making the same new experiences that Bastien does during the movie. They are relatable, flawed yet likeable characters.
While the movie feels very mysterious due to it's cinematography it is actually a fun ride. I've rarely seen humor pulled off in such a way that there is still enough place to contemplate on the emotional depth of the characters presented.
Chloe and Bastien need to be seen to be believed. The chemistry is extraordinary. Much of the film is, actually.
The ending is not. It feels rushed and doesn't give the viewers enough time to familiarize themselves with the situation. Also, something feels off but I can't quite put my finger on it. If the ending would have been en par with the rest of the movie this would have been movie of the year material for me, a strong 9/10 at least. As is, this is still an 8/10 and I kept thinking about Bastien and Chloe for well after when I left the Cinema. Go watch this if you get the chance to!
(Seen this at Viennale Film Festival 2022)
Plot summary
Bastien and Chloé spend their summer vacation with their families at a lake cabin in Quebec, haunted by a ghost legend. Despite the age gap between them, the two teenagers form a singular bond. Ready to overcome his worst fears to earn a place in Chloé's heart, the holiday becomes a turbulent pivotal moment for the young boy.—Memento International
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Atmospheric slow burner
Love can lead you to a better place, to hell on earth, or both
At a remote cabin in Quebec an awkward and innocent 14-year-old boy, Bastien, is taken under the wing of Chloe, an older, mischievous, and much more worldly girl. While swimming beneath the stars and with tales of ghosts, invitations to parties, impossible dares, challenges to face fears, humor, sexual tension, and acts of courage and defiance, Bastien is beguiled by Chloe. She takes him into underworlds around him as well as inside himself, that he never knew existed. He feels on top of the world and also like he is going under.
"You have to be intelligent to find others intelligent," said director Charlotte Le Bon who appeared at this Toronto International Film Festival screening of her debut feature film with one of its stars (Sara Montpetit, who plays Chloe). This enthralling teenage romance and boreal forest cabin inspired tale really resonate with me because I had similar experiences. Chloe is the type of girl I repeatedly fell for in my life, and I treasure a similarly situated cabin in Canada. In Falcon Lake the parents have a peripheral role. The story revolves around Bastien's point of view, and I find that interesting and refreshingly different from mainstream films that focus more on parents. Music is used sparsely and with powerful effect. The acting, sound, photography, dialogue, and everything else all come together so well. Falcon Lake feels authentic and assured. We will see more from Charlotte and Sara in the future. Falcon Lake first appeared at Cannes and is based on a graphic novel by Bastien Vives.
Teenagers and the discovery of themselves
So we follow that young boy and girl. We saw them experiment and do parties and have fun. They discover also their bodies, their sexualities each other and i found some dialogues and scenes pretty interesting with that sexuality that they need to discover by their own. So we saw a lot of funny moments and some interesting "mise en scene" and that kind of movie can really help some young people and we feel very close with the two characters in their fears, the changement in their bodies, the start of their sexuality. It was a nice discovery and i really enjoyed also the ghost part who add a little bit scare or mysterious moments. A nice movie that can i recommend to everyone. Anybody can relate to the teenagers problems in that movie.