For many, adolescence is one of the most complicated stages in life. Not only physical changes are experienced, but also emotional transformations that many do not understand and can give rise to numerous conflicts. Although there are several films that have addressed the subject from various perspectives, few are those that really manage to connect with those who go through this stage. Winter in Paris, a French film by director Christophe Honoré, seeks to reflect the maelstrom of emotions that many young people go through. But it also brings an important message to the conversation.
At 17 years old, Lucas sees his adolescence shatter in the blink of an eye after the death of his father. He feels that his life is a wild beast that he must tame. Therefore, he embarks on a trip to Paris, where his older brother Quentin, a visual artist, lives. Between the grief he feels for the loss of his father, a mother who does not accept what happened either, and a brother who little by little continues with his life, Lucas will be forced to fight to regain hope and love for itself.
The first positive point of the film is its script, also written by Christophe Honoré. Although it is based on experiences he himself lived after the death of his father, it never feels like a tear-jerking or Manichaean proposal that seeks easy tears. It has some generic points, but Winter in Paris tells how certain events can mark a before and after at any stage of life. All this without any type of judgment.
Using Lucas’s adolescence and emotional growth as a core part of the story, the film realistically shows everything that this stage entails. The protagonist not only faces his first great loss. He also falls into the discovery of his sexual identity in destructive or redemptive ways, into dependency, and goes through mental health problems.
Honoré wasn’t afraid to show how sexuality can be key when finding yourself. And although the theme can function as a morbid-oriented resource, here it forms an organic part of the narrative. At a certain point, Lucas decides not to spend time healing his mind and listen to what his body demands. The latter regardless of the consequences it may bring.
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Of course, none of this would work without a protagonist capable of realistically going through more than one emotion. In that sense, Paul Kircher’s performance as Lucas is totally devastating. Although he manages to convey all the changes in his character, for much of the footage he appears restrained, like many young people who hide his pain behind an appearance of a common life. This works properly, because when Lucas reaches his breaking point, Kircher lets everything he previously kept bottled up flow.
Even with a relatively small character, Juliette Binoche stands out as Isabelle, Lucas and Quentin’s mother. At first, her character seeks to maintain her sanity and be the breadwinner for both young people after the loss of her father. However, Ella Binoche perfectly reflects the pain of a mother who she also suffers, but she prefers to keep that in silence.
In terms of production, Winter in Paris It is impeccable. It is nourished by photography, cold colors and music that not only increase the winter feeling of the film, but also the loneliness and emotional emptiness that Lucas feels. Towards the end, this last aspect becomes more important and emphasizes the message that Honoré seeks to give: mental health is important. Furthermore, taking care of it is an inherent part of growth in human beings. We will all face losses, discoveries, dependencies and loneliness, but there is also love and people willing to give us that push to get out of the abyss.
Thanks to an outstanding protagonist, strong supporting actors and a story that many can identify with, Winter in Paris is a good recommendation for those who enjoy intimate and thoughtful stories. Although at times it lasts longer than necessary, it works as a journey towards all those emotions that shape us as people, and the memorable traces (positive and negative) that adolescence can leave.
Juan Jose Cruz I am one of those who always defended Robert Pattinson as Batman and can see the same movie in the cinema up to 7 times. My guilty taste? Low-budget horror films.