Being 17 - Film Review

Dear diary,

Whilst I was at the BFI south bank media trip, I was set homework which was to write a review about the movie me and my class watched which was being 17 again. The criteria of this work was that it had to be 500 words max.

Being 17 is a 2016 french film that is directed by Andre Téchine in the year 2016. Its a movie about two guys, called Damien and Tom who constantly hate one another and consistently harm one another in High school.

Damien (the white one) - Tom (black one)

They end up spending their High school years, beating up each other which gets worse and worser everyday. Things change unexpectedly throughout this film, Tom's foster mom gets sick and pregnant, her chances of her loosing it is very high and alarming, due to this Damien's mother who is a doctor offers to help his mother and lets Tom stay with them, resulting in the two boys having to sort out their differences for the better.

Thomas with Damien's mother

When it comes to Damien's personal life he just lives his mother at the moment, he does though have a long distance relationship with his father, who is on tour of duty abroad. They speak over Skype several times and his dad even visits, but sadly his father dies in a mission aboard resulting in a funeral being held back home.

The story takes a very steep unexpected turn again, as throughout the story we realize that Damien likes Tom, but not just as friends, he falls for Tom and starts to get a lot of feelings for him. Tom ends up liking Damien too, but at the start rejects his affection, as he is not ready to make that sort of commitment.

Damien & Tom having a altercation

Later on we see them come together and form an intimate relationship This occurs after Damien's dad dies, at first Tom still held a grudge at Damien for confessing his attraction to him, but then he comes to his house in a suit (dressed for the funeral) and consoles Damien, resulting in them kissing and engaging in sexual intercourse, falling more in love with each other.

The movie is overall structured really well, and the shots vary from long shots to close ups. In the film these shots are the most present. I understand why there would be loads of close ups present, because if there was not we would not be able to see the true emotions the characters has / or is feeling.

This movie is very emotional and so unpredictable, you never know what you're gonna expect.

This movie is very interesting and intriguing, Its not like your average stereotypical high school movie, which features '' three blonde attractive popular females'' It shows two boys who hate each other and there is no really significant reason as to why they do, but then all that hate disappears and turns into a deep love that they have for one another. Its so unexpected and just crazy how they came together and forgot all the hate they had for one another, it makes you think, maybe the whole reason they fought was deeper and was merely because they were both alike and they were trying to hide their feelings for one another.