Review of To the Extreme (2000) by Ian M — 25 Jul 2005

To The Extreme (2005) ? "To much happiness depresses me." - Thomas.

Thomas, an irresponsible, independently wealthy, bi-sexual sleep-about in his mid-twenties (into the mildly-sadistic-Paris-scene) learns his late female (single parent) companion's teen-age son (Greg) wants him as a guardian. In his grief over the loss of the only person he had any feelings for, Thomas promises to take care of Greg and then spends the rest of the story trying to swim against the emotional tide of honoring his commitment. He alternately dashes to the numbing safety of his sex and drug soaked ?friends? before being swept back toward the boy in a wave of loneliness: Thomas had also lost his parents at the same age and Greg represents both a reliving of that horror and the opportunity of crafting a different fate for the boy.

This French version of ?About a Boy? is the difference between mild salsa and the kind that leaves scars on your tongue. Thomas? dysfunctional lifestyle makes his character much more complex and considerably less likeable than Hugh Grant. An absolute labor - I could feel the effort it took for the characters to maintain momentum in this near impossible situation. A heroic effort.