The marketing for François Ozon's Summer of '85 (Été 85) has not shied away from its comparisons with Luca Guadagnino's Oscar-winning success Call Me By Your Name. Where most films tend to avoid direct correlation to similarly-themed works, Summer of 85 refreshingly embraces its similarities, setting audiences up for the beautifully-textured, sun-drenched coming-of-age film it delivers, while still forging a path of its own.
When 16-year-old Alexis is quite literally saved by the charming David, a dreamy summer of romance ensues that marks first love - but heartbreak isn't far behind. Felix Lefebvre and Benjamin Voisin star in Ozon's french-language adaptation of Aidan Chambers' 'Dance on my Grave'.
A sensual, evocative yet devastating rumination on teenage love and desire, films rarely inspire such a reaction of the senses like Summer of 85. Presenting us with two distinctive halves that wonderfully enrich each other, the unusual storytelling structure is handled well by Ozon: the heart-swooning passion of the first half paints a dreamy situation that causes the second's crash-and-burn to be more devastatingly felt, with the teased tragedy that engulfs their whirlwind affair rippling across even those blissful early moments of happiness. Stunningly calibrated in a 100-minute poetic tale of hope, pain, love and regret, complete with some gorgeous dialogue, the darker, melodramatic detour of the second half may not work for everyone but those enraptured in its blossoming love story will be utterly transfixed.
Summer of 85's every frame feels like a moment frozen in time, capturing the essence of first love and carefully evoking the scrapbook approach of its source material. Shot on film by Hichame Alaoui, and with Ozon's delicate direction affirming its era with strong aesthetic sensibilities, there is a timelessness laced throughout the film, with the lusciously designed production and scenery so very beautifully nostalgic. Armed with a wonderfully-curated, mood-enhancing score from JB Dunckel - and featuring a bleary-eyed sequence scored by Rod Stewart's Sailing that stands as one of the most touching moments of the cinematic year - the film's tone is so masterfully rendered, vividly drawn in a most remarkable way.
Selling such an amorous connection requires two dynamic leads and both Felix Lefebvre and Benjamin Voisin excel as Alexis and David, offering compelling portrayals of young love and heartbreak. Lefebvre delivers a sensitive and endearing performance as the younger yet more emotionally-mature of the two, his burgeoning sexuality explored but never the overriding focal point; Voisin's older, more confident David possesses more of a swagger and natural charisma, easy to fall in love with his brooding attitude that is instantly magnetic for both Alexis and audiences. They are such different personalities, yet the screenplay - and the all-important chemistry between the actors - convince of their palpable connection.
An emotionally-rich, sincere and decadent coming-of-age tale, Summer of 85 is a heart-swelling, heartbreaking ode to first love and heartbreak, to teenage desire and to memory. Nostalgia permeates throughout writer and director François Ozon's latest, crafting a timeless and elegant feature that speaks to the lover in us all. Landing its tonal shift because of the sensitive writing and wonderful performances, Summer of 85 will embed itself in the hearts of those who fall under its spell - and get us as close to a romantic, sun-kissed trip abroad as most of us will get this year.
Summary: In all its sun-drenched glory, François Ozon's Summer of 85 is one of the year's best: an emotionally-rich and captivating portrayal of young love, innocence and desire, in a film as gorgeously-shot as it is beautifully-performed.
Summer of 85 is out in the UK on October 23rd, in cinemas and online.