Douches froides (2005) - film review

Mikael is an ordinary 17-year old lad from a typical French working class family.  With his father unemployed, his mother has become the family breadwinner, but she earns barely enough to make ends meet.  Although life is hard for Mikael, he is well-adjusted and optimistic about the future.  Outside school, he divides his time between Vanessa, his girlfriend, and judo, the sport at which he excels  But, just a few weeks before the exams that will determine his future course in life, his world starts to fall apart.  What upsets his equilibrium is the arrival of Clément, the spoiled son of a wealthy businessman.   Under Mikael’s tutelage, Clément becomes a better judo player than him and soon takes his place in his team.  Whilst training for a place in a lower weight championship team, Mikael finds his health deteriorate as he struggles to lose weight.   Meanwhile, he notices that Clément is attracted to Vanessa, so he allows him to join them in their adolescent love making sessions...

For his debut film, director Antony Cordier chose a subject that many a novice filmmaker has tackled before him, the trauma of adolescence, and succeeds in crafting a film that is poignant, compelling and authentic.  Cordier’s take on social realism has a gentle poetic edge and it’s interesting that the story he tells, about an ordinary teenager who is about to have all his dreams and illusions shattered, is warm and engaging, and not the familiar juvenile rant against the injustices of the world.  

Johan Libéreau had little experience as an actor before this film, but in his first substantial role he succeeds admirably, giving a sensitive and convincing portrayal of an adolescent coming to terms with his own mediocrity.  The film’s explicit ménage à trois sex scenes have earned it a certain notoriety but these are appropriate within the context of the film and are not the usual exploitation gimmick.  Douches froides is an intelligent, sincere and well-made drama which treads some familiar ground with compassion and an original adult perspective.

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