The French Kissers
2009 · Directed by Riad Sattouf
Original language: French
- comedy
- drama
- romance
The story
An awkward adolescent boy and his angst-ridden friends try their best to fit in amongst a cast of varied characters.
What it’s like
Grey suburban concrete, flat daylight, and cramped bedrooms and school corridors give this a scruffy, lived-in look, with a loose, observational camera that stays close to its restless young cast. The comedy runs on awkward silences, deadpan asides, and the particular mortification of being thirteen, and the score is light and sparse, so the mood stays brisk rather than sentimental. Its vibe is wry, crude, and affectionate, somewhere between cringe-comedy and a sharp look at adolescent anxiety. The pacing is episodic and fast, following a gawky boy and his friends as they chase status, girls, and acceptance in a mixed, often unkind school, and their arcs trace a slow, bruised climb toward self-awareness. Intensity is moderate: frank, graphic talk about sex and bodies, teen nudity, bullying, scuffles, and a few rough moments, but no gore and little real menace. It suits a late-night laugh with friends or a restless evening alone, and it is best for viewers who enjoy unvarnished, sometimes uncomfortable teen comedy and aren't looking for anything gentle.
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