Description: At a school that breeds France's cultural elite, a young man experiences heterosexual and homosexual attraction, power games and racial conflict. Directed by Robert Salis. 5.1 surround sound, 16x9 anamorphic 1.85:1 presentation
Amazon.com: Grande Ecole merges the delirious ogling of naked flesh with highfalutin' cultural theory from abstruse thinkers like Michel Foucoult--a whiplash-inducing combination that could only come from the French. Paul (Gergori Baquet), a middle-class student, arrives at a snooty economics school and finds himself lusting after his new roommate, the upper-class Louis-Arnault (Jocelyn Quivrin)--even though Paul already has a hot-and-heavy relationship with his luscious girlfriend Agnes (Alice Taglioni). Paul's sexual confusion leads him into an affair with a handsome Arab groundskeeper named Mecir (Salim Kechiouche), who falls helplessly in love with Paul. Grande Ecole awkwardly combines race and class consciousness, the defense of a death-row inmate in Texas, and an extensive shower scene with the school's water polo team--but what finally gives it heart is Mecir, whose love for Paul seems doomed to tragedy. --Bret Fetzer
What Isn't About Sex, Money and Ennui? This film centers around Paul (Gregori Baquet)-son of a classist Marseilles builder, a father who makes his son wear suits when he is still a toddler and insists on sending Paul to an elite business school to learn marketing and management despite the fact that Paul excels in literature. Paul has a girlfriend Agnès- an advocate against the death penalty, and student at the neighboring liberal arts college. Paul stays on campus in the dorm and his roommates are the passive Chouquet (Arthur Jugnot) and the pinnacle of French upper-class society Louis-Arnault (Jocelyn Quivrin), who at the outset, has no problems claiming what he needs for himself (the biggest bedroom) declaring "first come, first served", like a true plundering capitalist.
Paul begins attending Louis-Arnault's water polo matches and is invited to a post-game shower room-where ominously the girls are strictly forbidden from entering. Paul sits on the bench viewing the team playfully soaping each other and becomes aware of his bi-sexuality. Paul steals Louis-Arnoult's boxer shorts and begins engaging in his sexual fantasies on his own. Later, while strolling the campus, Paul and Louis-Arnault, meet a young handsome Arab painter, who is being belittled by his boss with racist comments. Paul comes to the young man's rescue and a tender sexual chemistry is created.
Agnès senses Paul's awakening bi-sexuality and bets Paul which one will have the desirable Louis-Arnault first. Paul uses the young arab man as a means of exploring and satisfying his desire for Louis-Armoult. Louis-Arnoult seems attracted to Paul but ultimately concludes "If I loved you, what could I do about it." In the end, it is the young arab man who is the most grounded and free. You sense he will be the happiest of all the characters in this film. Agnes and Paul have an exciting, tender, and incredibly mature sexual relationship-surely she will help Paul heal. Louis-Arnault and his girlfriend who are both satisfied with fantasy of upper middle class life and don't want to delve into things too deeply, will be full of ennui.
This film is "very" French in that it is full of almost cliched ideas about wealth (the rich aren't happy, experience no brotherhood unless it is in an extremely competitive atmosphere, the poor are free and moral.) The references are subtle-the liberal arts school Agnes is working on a death penalty case for a man who was convicted in Texas without evidence, while Paul and Louis-Arnault learn how to be successful businessmen via lessons from America's corporate takeovers and LBO's of the 1980's (Nabisco)-capitalism as bad and good.
The extras on the DVD are very good and include a discussion of Foucault's philosophy and the understanding of 'desire'.
An excellent, well-made, quality, subtle film that will leave you pondering.
The Best of Films Finally a French film that has everything going for it: a decent plot, good actors, beautiful camera work and a great soundtrack including a little Puccini thrown in for good measure. Directed by Robert Salis-- this one convinced me that I would watch any movie he is involved in-- "Grande Ecole" explores love/desire between the same sex, the opposite sex as well as love between different classes. Paul (Gergori Baquet) and Agnes (Alice Taglioni) and Louis (Jocelyn Quivrin) and Emeline are all students at a ritzy school of economics and destined to take their positions as the elite of French society. Then Paul meets Mecir (Salim Kechiouche), an Arab worker at the school. So now Paul is attracted to the handsome Arab. On the other hand he is attracted to Louis as well, to the point of stealing his underwear and wearing it. Then there is Agnes, who figures out right away what is going on with Louis. Of course Louis eventually discovers Paul's affair with Mecir.
Salis in a long and winding commentary included with the DVD says he is trying to show that desire has no gender. There is plenty of desire beautifully filmed in this stylized, choreographed movie. The characters to a person have flawless bodies and we see all of most of them in the highly erotic sex scenes. Sometimes the cinematography almost gets in the way of the plot as we are inundated with one gorgeous image after another (all that footage-- literally of the water polo team for example). Finally Kechiouche, thought easy on the eyes, is not believable as a laborer. There is one scene, for instance, where he is on a ladder, spills a bucket of paint and then descends with all the grace of a ballet dancer. House painter he is not. "Grande Ecole" is still, however, two hours of pure entertainment.
you love him he dose not love you see what happens whne he loves you he loves someone else ande you need to find self
Well acted but slow The film is very well directed & acted. I gave it 3 stars because the plot moves so slow- it's boring and hard to stay with. Also it would have been more believable if the lead character, whom everyone else is attracted to, were attractive. There are some nice full frontal nude scenes of other actors to compensate.
Interesting and great! Excellent love story... great cast, great acting! You also have to take a look at the DVD extras. Would definitely recommend buying this one for your collection.
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