Les faux-monnayeurs (2010)

Based on the novel by André Gide, first published in 1925.

English title: The Counterfeiters

A writer returns to Paris after a stay in London, and reconnects with his relatives. He becomes close to his teenage nephew, who has literary ambitions. Other subplots include another teenage boy who abandons his family after discovering that the man who raised him is not his biological father; a woman who is about to marry and discovers she is pregnant from another man; an old school teacher who wants to meet his grandson; another writer who leads a life of debauchery; etc.

Although I haven't read the novel, it feels like they oversummarized it and one has to build an understanding by connecting the dots made of mildly implied events and words; Wikipedia also helps. Les faux-monnayeurs revolves around ephebophilia, which is defined as "the primary sexual interest in mid-to-late adolescents, generally ages 15 to 19". In the case of this novel (and film) we are talking specifically of homosexual ephebophilia. With a little help from those readings, it becomes apparent that the thesis of the film is that there are "good" ephebophiles, exemplified by the protagonist, and "bad" ones, exemplified by Passavant. The film is neither convincing nor engaging, though it has a sufficiently polished narrative so as to be watchable.

Rating: 34