J'ai rêvé sous l'eau (2008)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Hormoz

Writers:

Philippe Arrizabalaga (screenplay) and
Hormoz (writer)

Release Date:

18 June 2009 (Germany)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot Keywords:

Nudity | Explicit Sex | Homosexuality | Drug Addiction | Erotic

Cast

Hubert Benhamdine	...	Antonin
Caroline Ducey	...	Juliette
Christine Boisson	...	Fabienne
Hicham Nazzal	...	Baptiste
Franck Victor	...	Alex
Hélène Michel	...	Babsi
Eva Ionesco	...	Femme Sif
Hervé P. Gustave	...	Déménageur (as HPG)
Rodrigue Adompo	...	Spike
Lidwine Herdhuin	...	Christine
Xanaë Bove	...	Pénélope (as Xanaé Bove)
Xavier Gaillard	...	Marcel (as Xavier Jaillard)
Muriel Michaux	...	Magalie
Patricia Dagmey	...	Jacqueline
Jacqueline Mille	...	Lysiane

Also Known As:

I Dreamt Under the Water (USA)

Runtime:

Germany:99 min | USA:95 min

Country:

France

Language:

French | English

Color:

Color

Company:

Wide Management

Style Nearly Overwhelms Substance

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

It's hard to fault a film that shows as much stylistic flair as I DREAMT UNDER WATER. The film's narrative can be somewhat disjointed at times, and confusion can result, but for the most part the film flows in its own comprehensible way. Antonin (Hubert Benhamdine) is a young man in emotional and psychological torment. We first see him playing in a band with the singer Alex (Franck Victor). Both men are exceptionally attractive, beautiful really, and this can almost be a distraction in itself. It sets up a commonly encountered movie fantasy in the viewer's mind, even before the narrative properly begins: what if these two got together? This ends up being not exactly the case, Antonin is obsessed with Alex, and this is the start of his long, painful search for love and sexual identity. When tragedy intervenes, Antonin is sent into full dramatic tailspin. He turns to prostitution, more as a way to lose or find himself than to make money. The sexual scenes are filmed with honesty and they clearly show how intoxicating and drug-like the pleasure can be. Benhamdine throws himself completely into his role. He needs to convey a lot of his character in silent, brooding close-ups and reaction shots. He accomplishes all of this quite well. Other characters (Antonion's mother, his sometime-lover Baptiste, and girlfriend Juliette) are also well handled by very competent actors. This is not one of those poorly acted, badly written gay-themed films that abound on video these days. The main problem with this film is the constant, self-consciously stylized method of filming. Nearly every scene is composed in an artistically creative way and many shots are breathtaking. But it becomes distracting after a while, when every scene is presented in a strikingly different way from the previous one.

Aside from the over-stylization, the film is flawed by a seriously unsatisfactory conclusion. It's as though a crucial scene were missing at the end. Antonin, after all he has gone through, deserves a little more resolution than this. Worth seeing for the attractive and talented lead actor and some striking, if distracting, visuals.