It may be somewhat flattering to compare Come Undone (its English-language title) to the chatfests of Eric Rohmer. But Sébastien Lifshitz has certainly captured some of the bittersweet torment of teenage emotion in this gay romance.
Its essentially a three-act tragedy, but theres nothing theatrical about the way the action subtly shifts from the first meeting of Mathieu (Elkaïm) and Cedric (Rideau), through Mathieus recovery from an attempted suicide, to his return to the seaside in the hope of rekindling lost love. Having excelled in André Téchinés Wild Reeds, Rideau is again hugely impressive as the hustling seducer. But its Elkaïms hesitancy that holds together this thoughtful, beautifully photographed film.