A French gay-themed film about ACT UP activists in the late 1990s who are so fed up with what they consider to be insufficient research and action on the part of both drug companies and the Mitterand government, the film also deals with a love story between two members there. One of whom, Sean (Nahuel Pérez Biscayart), is HIV-positive, the other, Nathan (Arnaud Valois), is HIV-negative. While the organization both fights for better drugs (the only ones available at the time caused serious side effects) and tries to find a way to make the protests more effective to the general public, the relationship between the two men grows as Sean's health deteriorates.
I found the film to be extremely well-done in terms of the script and the acting. But I cried and cried throughout the film. Having been born in the 1980s, I saw all of this on the news through a child's eyes. I tried to understand why were all these people dying, how did they get sick, and how can we stop it? Having a doctor for a father didn't hurt, but sadly, I knew about what AIDS is before I knew what homosexuality is, far less the idea that I could ever be gay. But now that I know I am, I practice safe sex and I have had three relationships with men, and I was faithful to all of them. All I can say without spoiling the plot is that it helped me understand about how the survivors felt about losing people who meant so much to them. How long will it take to replace what we lost when we lost the first wave of AIDS victims? It even took away people whose work in TV and movies I watched when I was a kid. But that I felt so much sadness for these film characters is a testament to everyone who made the film. The level of emotional realism (not to mention a level of sexual frankness atypical of most gay movies and TV actually of the era) put such a human face on such a scary subject matter, and it may be a lot to deal with at one time, but it's worth it.
I highly recommend it. But if you find yourself inconsolable by the end, don't say I didn't warn you.
5/5
I found the film to be extremely well-done in terms of the script and the acting. But I cried and cried throughout the film. Having been born in the 1980s, I saw all of this on the news through a child's eyes. I tried to understand why were all these people dying, how did they get sick, and how can we stop it? Having a doctor for a father didn't hurt, but sadly, I knew about what AIDS is before I knew what homosexuality is, far less the idea that I could ever be gay. But now that I know I am, I practice safe sex and I have had three relationships with men, and I was faithful to all of them. All I can say without spoiling the plot is that it helped me understand about how the survivors felt about losing people who meant so much to them. How long will it take to replace what we lost when we lost the first wave of AIDS victims? It even took away people whose work in TV and movies I watched when I was a kid. But that I felt so much sadness for these film characters is a testament to everyone who made the film. The level of emotional realism (not to mention a level of sexual frankness atypical of most gay movies and TV actually of the era) put such a human face on such a scary subject matter, and it may be a lot to deal with at one time, but it's worth it.
I highly recommend it. But if you find yourself inconsolable by the end, don't say I didn't warn you.
5/5
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