[FilmReview]Summerof85(2020)6.7/10

Atfirstglance,ahormonalgayteenager’scoming-of-ageexperiencemightsoundtoogarden-varietyforOzon’snotedsophisticationandperverseness,butSUMMEROF85,basedonAidanChambers’YAnovelDANCEONMYGRAVE,suggestedbythatname,apparentlywearsitsmorbidity-fixationonitssleeve.Normandy,1985,sixteen-year-oldAlex(Lefebvre)meetshislifesaverDavid(Voisin)onthesea,whoistwoyearsolderthanhimandhailedfromamiddle-classmilieu,DavidandhiswidowedmotherMadameGorman(BruniTedeschi)ownashopsellingsea-relatedmerchandise,atwhichAlexsoonwillwork,frompart-timetofull-time,concurrentlyheandDavid’srelationshipturnscarnalandpassionate.Yet,thisqueerfirst-lovesensationisafarcryfromLucaGuadagnino’sCALLMEBYYOURNAMES(2017),Ozonletsonthetragedyrightinthestart,thestoryalternatesbetweenbefore/afterthefatefulincident,anditisAlexwhoisputunderthroughwringerforhisguilt-drivenregretandobsessedwiththeGrimReaper,allthemorehehastokeepapromisemadetoDavidattheheightoftheirrelationship(RodSteward’shitSAILINGisthepivotalear-worm),thatpromptshimtobealaw-offenderandisevaluatedbythepsychoanalystMr.Lefèvre(abaldandcurlyPoupaud).Across-dressingincidentbetraysOzon’spenchantbutthederivativescriptitselfbarelyshinesthroughthebifurcationofaheadyteenageloveaffairandthegrimmerpost-mortem,theirisnounknownquantitytoleaventhepaint-by-numbersnarrativedevelopment,likeourfixedimpressionofthatbygoneera,Ozonornatelyrefusestoinjectanysoupçonofindication,thataugurswindofchange,intotheperiodcharacterization,everyoneisacypher,asensitivekidfromthewrongsideofthetracks,adreamboatwhopanderstoallteenagegayboysandstraightgirls’wildestfantasy,withthatawkwardthirdwheelfromtheothersex,alltooblasétofunctionasanintriguetobumsonseats.Theactingisuniformlypalatable,VoisonisparticularlygorgeousasaparadigmaticsexsymbolwithhisAdonisfigureandfresh-facedexuberance,whichnearlyhumblesLefebvreintoadimsidekick,whoseglumnessdoesn’tresonate,whereasVelgeisdistinctiveinherheavilyEnglish-accentedFrench,andBruniTedeschiproficientlytransformsfromachipper,broad-mindedmothertoadoleful,bereftgorgon,butwhytragedymustbefallher,alas,theworldisneverakindplaceforasinglemotherwhohasaliberal,unconventionalheart.Bethatasitmay,evenasaminorOzon’swork,SUMMEROF85iswell-conceivedandconstructedinaholisticlevel,notleastforrecreatingthe80slaidbackambiencethatmatchesthefilm’salluringscenery,andthesavvymessageofmoving-on,but,YoursTrulycannotdispelawhiffofdisappointment,enteringthethirddecadeoffeaturefilmmaking,whenwillOzon’scareerreachaprefiguredapotheosisisstillanybody’sguess.Patiencemustbereservedtobothhisdevoteesandthequondamwunderkindhimself.referentialentries:Ozon’sTHENEWGIRLFRIEND(2014,6.9/10);ChristopheHonoré’sSORRY,ANGEL(2018,8.1/10);JakobM.Erwa’sCENTEROFMYWORLD(2016,6.6/10);StephenDunn’sCLOSETMONSTER(2015,6.2/10).本文版权归作者他他所有，任何形式转载请联系作者。