Educational Media Reviews Online

A New York Times Critic’s Pick, this film is technically an odd gay romantic movie. An older French businessman, Daniel, hires a male prostitute, Marek, for company, only to be taken advantage of by a gang of illegal immigrants. When Marek comes back to see Daniel for money, a relationship starts as Marek’s trust is slowly earned. The lines between sex and love start to blur with the pair. As Daniel comes to realize that Marek is being held hostage in the gang, he puts aside his feelings and attempts to bring Marek into a better life. The action begins once a plan is in place to get back Marek’s passport from the gang leader. The ending is tense and gripping. The film is based on the illegal Eastern European men that loiter at the Gare du Nord train station in Paris. Although the story is fictitious, it does not seem too far off from being inspired by actual events.

The acting is well done and each of the two main actors bring sincere emotion to their roles. Characters are well-developed and the film is broken up into four parts that have distinct themes. This film could be shown to illustrate the plight of immigrants in Europe as well as gang dynamics. There are some sex scenes and the content overall should be seen by mature audiences. A remarkable film that was written, edited and directed by the same person. Very engaging, though I feel it would be a bit of a stretch to use it in a classroom setting.