While boating, Alexis's boat capsizes and almost drowns before being rescued by David, who ultimately ends up as the friend of his dreams.
Summer of 85 (2020)
Été 85 (original title)
Imdb user
One of the fine films I’ve seen about gays in the military when discrimination A seductive, sumptuous gay teen romance with a noirish twist, this is Ozon at his best – no rug-pulling third-act twists, just chemistry, atmosphere and grainy 16mm aesthetic beauty.
Beginning with its protagonist in handcuffs over a mysterious crime and recounting the story through flashbacks, Summer of 85 charts the budding friendship between gawky and naive Alexis, and the confident and manipulative David. It is full of tonal shifts leaving you wondering what genre of film you are watching at times, which I have a spoilery theory about: that Ozon is playing with genre tropes to conjure up the mystery and danger of first love. Of course, ultimately, this turns out to simply be a sweepingly romantic and tragic look at said first love.
That lack of immediate coherent identity isn’t for everyone; not knowing where a film is going is patience-trying for some. For me, on the other hand, it’s a quality I love, the thrill of scene-to-scene surprise, forcing me to reserve judgement until the credits roll.
Even though it’s based on a YA (!) book from 1982, Ozon hounds will notice many of his favorite motifs returning: gay teens who are budding writers, literature teachers who mentor them, playful cross-dressing, and themes of writing, subjectivity and authenticity. There are more I’m forgetting. If you’re a fan of Ozon thus far you’re not expecting him to reinvent the wheel at this point, yet Summer of 85 still feels fresh and vibrant. If you’ve never seen his films before, this wouldn’t be a bad starting point. It definitely is one of his best films.
