When we first meet Martin, he's the 12 year old illegitimate son sent to live with his father at the family estate. In the film's second scene, the now 19 year old Martin is fleeing the same estate. Literally. Running blindly into the countryside, we follow as he hides from imagined pursuers, subsisting (barely) on what he can scrounge, completely exposed to the elements. In a few days he's arrested while pilfering from a farmer, but his family bails him out. He doesn't return home, but makes his way to Paris where he asks to live with his older half-brother, Benjamin, and his roommate, Alice, a musician. They reluctantly agree to take him in.
Soon, due to luck and his good looks, Martin is a world-class male model earning tons of money. He's also successful at courting the older Alice, which causes conflicts with Benjamin. Not romantic conflict, Benjamin is gay, but professional. Martin is the family bastard, his father's child by his mistress. Benjamin and the other siblings are children by the legal mother. Martin is the outcaste, but now he's a great success, more so than any of the siblings, especially Benjamin.
But Martin is harboring a great secret, the reason that caused him to flee, and it's tearing him apart. The family refuses help; they don't air their dirty laundry in public, and they don't like Martin. Martin begins to go mad. Alice, now in deeply love with Martin, begins a quest to unlock Martin's hidden demons and exorcize them.
Enough said about the plot, I've spoiled about half the movie. Is this movie any good? It's not bad. The film is French, so, except for Juliette Binoche as Alice, none of the actors are recognizable to this American; but they are all very good. The direction by André Téchiné is also quite good. The story? It's an odd little downer of a story that I suspect doesn't resonate well with the middle classes. But anything with Juliette Binoche in it is worth a rental.
Soon, due to luck and his good looks, Martin is a world-class male model earning tons of money. He's also successful at courting the older Alice, which causes conflicts with Benjamin. Not romantic conflict, Benjamin is gay, but professional. Martin is the family bastard, his father's child by his mistress. Benjamin and the other siblings are children by the legal mother. Martin is the outcaste, but now he's a great success, more so than any of the siblings, especially Benjamin.
But Martin is harboring a great secret, the reason that caused him to flee, and it's tearing him apart. The family refuses help; they don't air their dirty laundry in public, and they don't like Martin. Martin begins to go mad. Alice, now in deeply love with Martin, begins a quest to unlock Martin's hidden demons and exorcize them.
Enough said about the plot, I've spoiled about half the movie. Is this movie any good? It's not bad. The film is French, so, except for Juliette Binoche as Alice, none of the actors are recognizable to this American; but they are all very good. The direction by André Téchiné is also quite good. The story? It's an odd little downer of a story that I suspect doesn't resonate well with the middle classes. But anything with Juliette Binoche in it is worth a rental.