Ensofter Overrated and overhyped

Senteur As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

Tayyab Torres Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Caryl It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Franco-LA Why L to K? Because that makes as much sense to me as the concept of this movie likely has for the director. This film suffers where many first time films fail (gay or straight) when a director chooses to film their own script. In this case, he also did the cinematography. The film is very impressionistic and also very slow. It takes some digressions, a few brief ones and one long one (the soccer player subplot), which in spite of some comments on here, really accomplishes nothing to advance the development of the main character that could not have been accomplished more logically, otherwise. The other flaw in this movie is the lack of logic. As an example, if Marie has goals and ambitions, in spite of whatever feelings she may or may not feel for Loic, why would she commit suicide, particularly if she had already sent him from her life. There is no rationale in some of the action in the film other than the director obviously did not know how to push the plot forward.As a coming of age story, this is very weak. As a movie, the plot made little, if any sense. As a movie about the interior development of a character, of his realization of his place in society and the world, the movie suffers from an inconsequential lead with little to offer other than (at least apparently based on some reviews here and elsewhere) what some view as good looks. That is not enough to hang a life on, much less a 90 some minute film.

gradyharp Though most reviewers and viewers are putting this film down as a waste of time, this particular viewer sees many redeeming factors here that, given some further time in the editing room and a bit of script doctoring, could have resulted in a moving story.Young Swiss filmmaker Lionel Baier has both written (with Laurent Guido) and directed with quasi-autobiographical story that explores the coming of age of a lower class young lad who seems destined to settle for being a hustler. Loic (first time actor Pierre Chatagny) works in an assembly line chocolate factory in Bulle, Switzerland and his only 'life' is provided through his internet activity meeting men for sex. His casual sexual encounters (rather graphically shown in the first portion of the film) are his only answer to relating to people until he meets Marie (Natacha Koutchoumov) with whom he rooms and bonds. Marie is bright and encourages Loic, uneducated and uninformed, to look up words he encounters- a simple but well-intended manner in which Loic can improve himself. He meets the older Lionel (played by the director Lionel Baier) who dangles before Loic's eyes the possibilities of finer things in life. Loic spends his idle hours with a digital camera and between his new interest in photography and his pursuing his 'basic' education, he begins to long for a life more significant than his brainless casual sex. He becomes friends with a soccer player and his son, loses his friendship with Marie when Marie finds a real lover, and ultimately Loic yearns to escape the life of the 'stupid boy' of the title and enters a dreamworld fantasy of something better.Good ideas for a film here, but Baier seems to get sidetracked into artsy camera work, quasi-porno, and surrealistic moving lights and alpine scenery, and the film falters as a result. But there does seem to be some promise of a new filmmaker on the rise, This film may not be tolerated by some for various reasons, but for the adventurous spirits who are unafraid of a bit of male frontal nudity and sexual acting out, here are redeeming aspects to this little film that merit attention. Grady Harp

haridam0 The age of twenty is something of a milestone in life. The teens are gone forever, and the first phase of adulthood is begun.Many youths manage this transition smoothly, while others find it more difficult. Loic, the antihero of "Garcon stupide," has a tough time.During the course of this film, he supposedly sheds his sexual orientation, bounces from relationship to relationship and in the end, takes a stand on what roads he doesn't want to tread.That he's confused is not atypical of twenty-year-olds. It's time to phase out sewing wild oats and begin settling down. Just where Loic wants to go seems unclear, and Writers Lionel Baier and Laurent Guido end on an inconclusive note.By the same token, their entire lean narrative is in free form (often using spit screens) with time and events sometimes out of synch. There's no denying that Pierre Chatagny's naturalistic portrayal of the main character is clearly etched.Opinions seem to vary regarding the effectiveness of this depiction, which is reminiscent of Sebastian Lifshitz's "Presque rien" (2002, with Stephane Rideau)."Garcon stupide" was presented by Cinematheque --one of America's premiere film series, located in University Circle of Cleveland, Ohio. The audience at that showing was highly attentive and quite empathetic. (harry/76)

lcirigliano A very sexy, natural and stylish film about a "normal live" of a young men... compliments to to director and the actors! so complicated and funny is life today in modern Europe.But it is not astounding that the most refreshing film with topic of homosexuality comes from Switzerland.This country shows in deed an astoundingly positive tolerance an "bienveillance" in front of the gay &lesbian community, how was showed by the acceptance of homo-"marriage" by the peoples-referendum in spring 2005.It is to hope, that such films can increase tolerance also in other countries, like USA, which are far more behind the development in Europe.So: look this film a make an opinion. Tolerance is alway a virtue.