Brüder

I agree, the storyline is slender. This is a portrait of a very young man in his first year of moving to the city, being out, juxtaposed with his recollections of the beautiful—and straight—best friend he left behind.

Maybe it's the locale, the language difference, the glimpses of French gay life, but I found this movie very watchable. I think I would be less forgiving (as an American) seeing the same story in an American film. The American version would be more of a straightforward story, I think, and almost certainly heavy-handed. This film is serious, but it's done with a light, gentle touch, and that makes it easier to take.

The movie flips between past and present without much concern for our keeping up with the story. In fact, the jumping around is a reflection of the boy's state of mind. I can't imagine an American film doing the same thing without a lot of dumbing down.

So, despite the familiar plot, if you can even call it that, I still think this is worthwhile. It's very filmic, and relatively uncompromising.

And, the main character's straight best friend is a f**king raving beauty.