PHILIPPE AUDI-DOR

Bil’s rating (out of 5):  BB.  

Blue Shadows Films, Reel Chefs Catering.  United Kingdom/France/Switzerland/Lebanon, 2015.  Screenplay by Philippe Audi-Dor.  Cinematography by Pablo Rojo.  Produced by Philippe Audi-Dor, Merlin Merton.  Film Editing by Alexis Steele.  Podcasts:  Bad Gay Movies.  

Olivier and James are going on for a minibreak to Olivier’s summer home in the south of France and have brought along a last minute addition: James ran into an old friend from graduate school, Caroline, before they left for their trip and, pitying her emotional state after a recent break up, invited her to join them.  A relationship between the two men that has just reached a comfortable level of bliss is put to the test when Caroline’s frustration is directed at Olivier, whose reaction to her flirtatious provocation isn’t outright rejection and results in tension between all three.  Beautifully shot and cast with three strong performers who are also the peak of physical appeal, this seventy minute drama is something of a fail for its lack of general chemistry.  The actors perform well together but have little information in their characters to work from, while the script is rife with plain and tired dialogue that is not improved by Philippe Audi-Dor’s anxious-to-be-artistic direction.