krme I have watched this movie several times now. Being an American I must confess that I am rather dense when it comes to understanding the nuances of many European films. In the beginning I was very confused, there is almost no dialogue for the first ten minutes of the film, and then, what little dialogue there was I did not understand the language. I thought that my closed captioning was turned off. But no, it was not. These limitations, however, are strictly my own. As I watched repeatedly, with breaks in between viewings, I began to realize. In Daniel's world, his attractions to the younger "Eastern European Boys" must be conducted in secret. In darkened corners and away from prying eyes. This is because his attraction to teenage boys (presumably underage) is illegal, and treated as shameful, sick, deranged, even, perhaps deserving of pity. Marek's world is much the same, he plys his trade in the open, but retreats to the same shameful corners and dark spaces to arrange the sale of his services to those that would buy them. What this story is really about then is; how do these two men. One older, one younger learn to see each other as something other than the simple fulfillment of sexual desire and a source of income. That is what this movie depicts. At first we see them only as caricatures, stereotypes of what (American) society would expect of Daniel, as a man who desires sex with much younger men. We see Marek as the person who is paid to provide that service, and that's it.As the movie slowly (yes, slowly) unfolds so does their relationship. So, also, do their characters. We begin to see that something more than desire and object is happening here. Marek returns after his friends completely strip Daniel's home of literally everything they can carry. My first reaction when I saw him return and ring Daniels doorbell was to shout; "No! No! Don't open the door to him again!" I realized on the third viewing, that this seemingly stupid action on Daniel's part has great significance. It is representing the opening of his heart.For, perhaps the first time in his life, Marek experiences a love from Daniel that asks for nothing in return. He pleases Marek at each encounter, until Marek lets go of his layers of cynicism and protection. He open's his heart to Daniel. Over time they struggle, fight, make-up, discuss and negotiate and work their way toward a father and son relationship. Which, by the end of the movie is exactly what it has become. Or, perhaps the status of their relationship is left for the viewer to decide. I can see it going both ways.Yes, this film will challenge the way you look at attraction between disparate ages. Yes, this film my make you uncomfortable at times. However, if you watch with an open heart and an open mind you may see that love, compassion and respect can grow in the oddest of places. It took me a lot of time and many viewings to give this movie room to breathe in my heart. Once I did I was glad. It has become my favorite LGBT movie. Thank you for reading my review. I hope it helped.

adamshl There's no doubt the production department of this film is accomplished. The cast, direction, photography and editing are all up to par. What the problem is a rather implausible plot. After Mr. X, obviously a seasoned professional, picks up a moody youth-hustler in the train station and makes arrangements for him to come to his apartment the next day, a motley gang (of which the youth is a member) shows up instead and ransacks the apartment. Then the following day the doorbell rings and there's the initial youth standing there wanting to come in! What does Mr. X do? Allows him not only to enter but engage in a lengthy affair. Sorry, but I don't buy that. Mr. X is not only unusual but must be a bit daft. The entire plot then centers around this odd couple's relationship, and unfortunately it lost my interest.All the production values are in place and the film is obviously the product of a polished crew. Still, the quirkiness of character motivation diminished my interest and appreciation of an otherwise interesting European drama.

ksf-2 Pretty weird flick... Olivier Rabourdin is "Daniel", who thinks he has picked up a hustler at the train station; instead, things go from weird to weirder. The person who shows up at his door is NOT the person he thinks he hired, and when a whole group of eastern block people show up, things go south quickly. Daniil Vorobyov is "Boss", the chiseled, muscle-y leader of the pack, who runs the show. Then Daniel sees Marek, the guy who lured him into this whole mess (Kirill Emelyanov), and they strike up an odd relationship. The last two thirds of the film is mostly about their relationship, which has its ups and downs.Written and directed by Robin Campillo, whose other works are related to gangs or different social classes and the issues that come with that. Not much info on any of these actors in IMDb. While this film is a bit off-beat, it's certainly entertaining, and one of the few films where I was not able to guess what comes next. English subtitle translation du français.

Paul Creeden This is an honest movie about hard subjects. It is not meant to please the politically correct. It is also not a gay movie. It is much deeper than a portrayal of one sexual lifestyle.I see it, on one level, as an allegory about migration and economic power. Whether or not it was intended to be this seems irrelevant to me. But, I also appreciated its honest portrayal of hustling as it relates to age and isolation in gay male culture.The choice to make Daniel, the middle aged gay client of Marek/Rouslan, a white-collar depressive who is not a slick English-speaker was brilliantly spot on. The interchange of language when the two main characters begin to forge a meaningful relationship from prostitution is paralleled artfully with the interchange of sexual positions between them. Sex, growing to meaningful verbal communication, growing to love, growing to individuation, and salvation for both.Very affective cinematography which is intensely personal or roughly realistic. Daniil Vorobyov, as the Boss, plays a truly frightening villain, whose beauty as an instrument of his sadism rang so true for me. The plot and the Boss character's personality take interesting turns which balance the subdued portrayals of Daniel and Marek/Rouslan.As an older gay man who came out at 17 on a hustler strip of an American city in the 1960s because I could not get into bars, I was impressed by how some things really haven't changed despite the progress in developed nations for middle class and wealthy gay men. The Eastern Boys were familiar to me, as was Daniel, the john. The oldest profession remains either stepping stone or downfall for the runaways and refugees. At least, this one film handled this reality with artful sensitivity and realism.