Presque Rien [Almost Nothing] [Come Undone] *** (2000, Jérémie Elkaïm, Stéphane Rideau, Marie Matheron) – Classic Movie Review 12,729

The convincing and moving 2000 French romantic drama film Presque Rien [Almost Nothing] [Come Undone] stars Jérémie Elkaïm and Stéphane Rideau in a story of a stormy holiday romance between two 18-year-old young men.

Director Sébastien Lifshitz’s convincing and moving 2000 French romance drama film Presque Rien [Almost Nothing] [Come Undone] stars Jérémie Elkaïm as 18-year-old Mathieu, who is spending the summer at his mother’s summer house in Brittany when he meets local teen Cédric (Stéphane Rideau) on the beach and a passionate gay love story begins.

The film takes the risk of switching between summer and winter plotlines, but makes a success of it, with the parallel plotline focusing on Mathieu 18  months later recovering from the shock of their separation at the end of the stormy holiday romance.

Jérémie Elkaïm shines in his breakout performance as the troubled, emotionally fragile Mathieu, Stéphane Rideau impresses as Cédric, and Dominique Reymond is notable as the deeply depressed Mother.

Melancholy songs by Irish singer songwriter Perry Blake (from his album Still Life) convey Mathieu’s depression.

The cast are: Jérémie Elkaïm as Mathieu, Stéphane Rideau as Cédric, Dominique Reymond as Mother, Marie Matheron as Annick, Laetitia Legrix as Sarah, and Nils Ohlund as Pierre.

Presque Rien means Almost Nothing, which is the UK release title, but the US title is Come Undone.

Jérémie Elkaïm (born 29 August 1978) also stars in the 2002 gay-themed coming of age film You’ll Get Over It [À cause d’un garçon].

Stéphane Rideau (born 25 July 1976) was discovered in 1992 at a rugby game and auditioned for and won a role in André Téchiné’s Wild Reeds [Les Roseaux Sauvages] at the age of 16.

© Derek Winnert 2023 – Classic Movie Review 12,729

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