Grande école (2004)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Robert Salis

Writers:

Robert Salis (scenario) and
Jean-Marie Besset (scenario) ...
(more)

Release Date:

4 February 2004 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Paul and Agnes have been going out for quite a while and Agnes is shocked to learn that he'd rather...

Plot Keywords:

Roommate | College | Female Nudity | Gay Athlete | Homosexual Jock

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Gregori Baquet	...	Paul
Alice Taglioni	...	Agnès
Jocelyn Quivrin	...	Louis-Arnault
Élodie Navarre	...	Emeline
Arthur Jugnot	...	Chouquet
Salim Kechiouche	...	Mécir
Eva Darlan	...	Mme Chouquet
Lakshantha Abenayake	...	Le journaliste incarcéré
Yasmine Belmadi	...	Ouvrier flash-back 1
Jacques Collard	...	Un invité
Jo Prestia	...	Le chef de chantier
Jamal Hadir	...	Le frère de Mécir
Gilbert Desveaux	...	Un professeur
Arnaud Binard	...	L'entraîneur de water-polo
Adan Jodorowsky	...	L'étudiant start-up (as Adam Jodorowsky)
Jean-Michel Cannone	...	Le père de Paul
Hanifa Mizi-Alloua	...	La mère de Mécir
Eva Saint-Paul	...	La mère de Louis-Arnault
Jean-Loup Wolff	...	Le père de Louis-Arnault
Eric Seigne	...	L'aumônier
Pierre Aussedat	...	Le directeur de l'école
Nicolas Laugero	...	L'agresseur en smoking
Adel Bencherif	...	Ouvrier flash-back 2
Patrick Goavec	...	Le chauffeur de taxi
Yoann Florance
Malik Issolah
Aarras Hassen
Manuel Cabrillon
Jean-François Guillet		(as Jean-François Guille)
Steeve Marchetti
David Minzio
Clément Ducasse
Thomas Jacqueline
Eddy Costa
Mickael Sabbane
Julien Becquelin
Gérard Couchet
Guillaume Jacotin
Christophe Gautier
François Charletoux
Isabelle Rolando
Clément Dizier
Navoda Komangoda
Stéphanie Dettling
Younesse Boudache		(as Younès Boudaud)
Vitalyi Cheremet		(as Vitaliy Chéremet)

Directed by
Robert Salis

Writing credits
Robert Salis		(scenario) and
Jean-Marie Besset		(scenario)
Jean-Marie Besset		(play)

Produced by
Humbert Balsan	....	producer

Original Music by
Éric Neveux

Cinematography by
Emmanuel Soyer

Film Editing by
Catherine Schwartz

Casting by
Célia Ducloux

Production Design by
Arnaud Roth

Costume Design by
Dominique Borg

Makeup Department
Laurent Falcon	....	hair stylist
Laure Talazac	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Sylvain Blache	....	unit production manager
Sébastien Spelle	....	unit manager trainee

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joude Gorani	....	trainee assistant director
Sonia Janin	....	first assistant director
Kickael Kornprobst	....	trainee assistant director
Christine Marrou	....	second assistant director
Sébastien Spelle	....	trainee assistant director

Art Department
Natalie Balsan	....	artistic advisor
Emmanuel Falconnet	....	property master
Claude Forget	....	construction coordinator
Sébastien Gondek	....	set dresser
Yannick Heuveline	....	assistant decorator

Sound Department
Christophe Bourreau	....	foley artist
Patrice Grisolet	....	sound editor
Florent Lavallée	....	sound mixer
Emmanuel Le Gall	....	sound
Georges Prat	....	sound
Jean-Alexandre Villemer	....	sound recordist
Jean-Noël Yven	....	sound editor

Camera and Electrical Department
François About	....	camera operator
Emmanuel Assenat	....	electrician
Edwin Broyer	....	electrician
François Chevreau	....	first assistant camera
Claire Duguet	....	second assistant camera

Editorial Department
Denis Bedlow	....	additional assistant editor

Music Department
Athula Adkari	....	composer: theme music
Bath Festival Orchestra	....	musician: Bach's "Violin Concerto, BWV 1060"
Thakshila Mettananda	....	musician
Bandula Nanayakkar Wasam	....	composer: theme music
Nemzeti Filharmonikus Zenekar	....	musician
Bruno Rigacci	....	conductor: "E lucevan le stelle" from "Tosca"

Other crew
Sophie Delahaye	....	script supervisor

Thanks
Dominique Besnehard	....	thanks
Yann Dedet	....	thanks
Hervé de Luze	....	thanks
Yann Marquand	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Ognon Pictures (co-production)
• France 2 Cinéma (co-production)
• Eden Films (co-production)
• Région Ile-de-France (support) (as La Région Île de France)
• Gimages 6 (participation)

Distributors

• Pyramide International (2004) (worldwide) (all media) (sales)
• Pyramide Distribution (2004) (France) (theatrical)
• Optimale (2004) (France) (DVD)
• Arti Film (2005) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (DVD)
• Hollywood Independents (2007) (Costa Rica) (theatrical)
• Hollywood Independents (2007) (Nicaragua) (theatrical)
• Hollywood Independents (2007) (Panama) (theatrical)
• Peccadillo Pictures (2008) (UK) (DVD)
• Wellspring Media (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Actes Sud  book publisher (as Editions Actes Sud Papiers)
• Bateau 'Maxim's, Le  thanks
• Bibliothèque Nationale de France  thanks
• S.N.C.F.  thanks (as La Direction de la Communication de la SNCF)
• L'École National Supérieure  thanks
• La Mairie de Cergy Pontoise  thanks
• Ercidan  titles
• Lanvin  clothes: Monsieur Jocelyn Quivrin
• Renata  thanks
• Thierry Mugler  thanks

Runtime:

France:110 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Certification:

Taiwan:R-18 | UK:15

Company:

Ognon Pictures

Soundtrack:

Aha Lalou

Has its moments

Paul (Gregori Baquet) is attending a prestigious university in France. He has a girlfriend named Agnes (Alice Taglioni) who is puzzled why he won't live with her. Paul becomes sexually attracted to handsome roommate Louis-Arnault (Jocelyn Quivrin) but won't admit it, while handsome Arab Mecir (Salim Kerchrouche) makes it clear that he loves Paul. What is Paul to do?

Has its moments. When it sticks to Paul, Mecir and Louis-Arnault and the sexual aspect it's absolutely fascinating. But they continuously keep throwing in long boring speeches about business and politics that bring things to a screeching halt. Also (with the sole exception of Mecir) most of the characters are very unlikable and cruel. Paul's girlfriend especially comes across badly and Paul himself is whiny. It ends in a very muddled way with an unsatisfying ending.

The acting is all pretty good. Baquet is a bit too whiny but Quivrin and especially Kerchrouch are very good. The one sex scene is done very tastefully and there is quite a bit of casual female and male nudity (this would get an NC-17 if it had been rated). All in all not too good but some bright moments and acting make it worth a look. I give it a 7.