Review of Wild Reeds (1994) by Ceph J — 19 Aug 2011

"Wild Reeds" refers to a poem where the weeds bend but don't break. It's a metaphor for these youngsters who are coming of age in 1962 during the Algerian war. The sex issues are more interesting. Gael Morel (my favorite) as Francois needs to deal with his homosexuality, handsome Stephane Rideau as Sergio needs to marry a woman and Elodie Bouchez is heartwarming as Maite who wants to find a mature man The politics is less appealing and is embodied by brooding Frederic Gorny as the Algerian recluse, Henri, and Michele Moretti as Mrs. Alvarez, the cynical teacher.

The movie is beautifully shot and direction is crisp. Although the movie is slow, the scenes are well edited so you get to bond with the characters. I watched the movie a second time and it's the second viewing that really made me appreciate it. It's a well-awarded movie winning Best Foreign Film from the NY & LA film critics. The ending takes place at a picturesque lake in southern France where each character comes to terms with their personal issues. I was so motivated by these characters that I wasn't ready for the bittersweet ending.