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February 27, 2015
Review: Eastern Boys

eastern boysEastern Boys opens at the Gare du Nord train station in Paris, where we see a group of Eastern European youths tempting fate by teasing petty theft and other mischief to the authorities. The camera follows one of them, Marek (Kirill Emelyanov) as he gets lost in the crowd, but it seems he has a purpose: he has locked eyes with an older businessman called Daniel (Olivier Rabourdin), who meets him under a staircase and asks him to come with him. Marek suggests that they meet the following day instead, and when the eager Daniel gives him his address, a surprised Marek asks “don’t you want to know how much I charge?”.

Daniel has other things in mind, and when we see him next he’s pacing  in his apartment, as if waiting to go out on a promising date (perhaps it’s the first time he’s hired an escort?) When the bell rings however, it isn’t Marek who appears, but a child who claims to be Marek and establishes he’s “underage” and will scream if Daniel gets any closer. Then the rest of the gang shows up, their leader Boss (Daniil Vorobyov) informs Daniel that they will do as they please with him. Out of shame and fear, Daniel sits as he sees the hooligans empty his possessions and load them in a moving truck downstairs, then it might very well be his heart that’s taken away as he sees the real Marek show up.

A few days later Marek shows up again, and when he suggests that he and Daniel have sex (“you want to fuck me?” he asks, “because if you do, it’s OK with me” he finishes), as they originally planned, the latter doesn’t hesitate. Instead of seeking revenge on the young man, he seems flattered to receive a second chance, and proceeds to make sweet, if mechanical, love to Marek. This is repeated on many occasions, until Daniel suggests that he’ll just pay him a base salary to meet and have sex with him, but Pretty Woman this ain’t, and as the two men grow closer, Daniel uncovers Marek carries with him a personal inferno that would make anyone miserable for life.

Directed by Robin Campillo (who co-wrote the screenplay with Gilles Marchand) Eastern Boys  is a unique drama that tries hard to avoid any classification. While it’s moving and strangely romantic, it’s certainly not a romance, neither is it an erotic thriller (despite a third act that often feels like a Liam Neeson film) or a coming-of-age story. Instead it satisfies itself with being what it is, in the same way the main characters’ relationship is, after all, why should we try to justify our every move to society?

The acting by the leads is touching and memorable, with the young Emelyanov bringing fear, doubt and an undeniable lovable quality to his troubled Marek, and Rabourdin making Daniel so human that not for a second do we think we’re allowed to judge him for any of his actions. Eastern Boys is an intelligent drama that deals with immigration issues, social class and loneliness. A reminder that we can recognize a fellow kind soul even in the most dehumanized of train stations.

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Written by: Jose Solis
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