Bang Gang: A Modern Love Story

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As a teenager, there are many depictions of teenage sexuality that I find have followed their own successful formula for so long that they fail to depict modern adolescent sexuality accurately. Bang Gang is indeed, as it is billed as, a "modern love story". In particular, the impact of social media on the psyches and voyeuristic attitudes of my generation are perfectly encompassed. Within director Eva Husson's spectacle, there are familiar themes: the need to be wanted, to be set apart from the herd, the loneliness that comes with attaining your fantasies and finding that they are not enough (read: the scene in which Alex, high on vice, stumbles completely naked out to the pool-where teenagers are copulating and filming it all on camera for online distribution-and plunges in, attempting to shut everything out). As a teenager, there was always a certain orgiastic essence to house parties, people sneaking off to bathrooms and guest bedrooms to hook up, spin the bottle and escalating dares, so that the possibilities of such an event happening, as it did in real life, do not seem far-fetched. The imagery and cinematography of the movie is spectacular. The control of light and palette is exquisite, so that a normally vulgar tableau-consider Harmony Korine's "Kids", all grit and no softness-is rendered soft and ambient. There are some shots that could come straight out of a pre-Raphaelite painting. And maybe that's what's so beautiful about this movie; youth isn't some dispensable, ephemeral quantity of life, regardless of its course, youth does guide our lives, and teaches us that to be happy, you have to risk being hurt.

Although some may argue: Is it really love? And the movie dives into questions about how young people on the verge of growing up and into adulthood, absorb things and live with them. It is not just an excuse to make fun or be too negative about current social media consumption or how teens choose to do things and their value system. In a world where almost everything is oversexed, how will that impact those who have quite the sex drive? Interesting theme, with perspectives from both sexes and scenes that feel real - even when they recreate "*". This has a lot of nudity obviously and it might not be for everyone to watch. It's an interesting attempt to show us something without judging too much. We even see the family lifes ... with all their sadness sometimes. You can't even blame parents all the time ... it's a weird life and might get even weirder - not that cancel culture and other things will likely help ... remember: not allowing somethings will provoke. It is better to educate rather then just shut down! So maybe there is some bright light in the future? Will the movie give us that message or will it stay neutral?

Although, Bang Gang forwardly touches on specific true events had by the curiosities, desires and boredom of the modern-teenage life, it well captures the freedom and the euphoric/dejected, consciousness in the quick moving life-span of these events in teen life today. It feels as though instead of experiencing these fast moments (like things often seemed as a teenager), it's like we're on the back-burner of their minds, watching in a cinematic sense and taking in the subtle details. Playfully reckless actions taken, lust, the sudden bursts of excitement, wanting to feel alive, wanting to be wanted and eventually wishing to be left alone VS the common crowd. Feelings that I believe are commonly amplified in teen years. Whether you are now an adult or a teen looking to view this film, afterwards you may think that this movie depicts nothing more than bad decisions and the lewd minds of youth today; or that maybe this display of teen life is but yet another overrated tale of many. But as an adult who appreciates French films and this common preference for the essence of a moment expressed (which most would view as a dull, simplistic happening in a scene), the director did well to display emotion through the characters actions, down to their very gestures, keying into longing; annoyance, lust, love, sadness, joy, coping and the journey onward after a summer's end of fun with little to no responsibility. This movie made me appreciate my past teen years even more so. Fleeting moments experienced, the friends and strangers met, good and bad, it all plays as a certain structure in our subconscious learning as we grow into our future selves and venture into adulthood, and man does it fly by. In the movie, Laetitia mention's how everything went by so fast, feeling like a dream. There's this look of heavy thought expressed on her face, perhaps reminiscing.. And then it's on to the next thing.

As a teenager, there are many depictions of teenage sexuality that I find have followed their own successful formula for so long that they fail to depict modern adolescent sexuality accurately. Bang Gang is indeed, as it is billed as, a "modern love story". In particular, the impact of social media on the psyches and voyeuristic attitudes of my generation are perfectly encompassed. Within director Eva Husson's spectacle, there are familiar themes: the need to be wanted, to be set apart from the herd, the loneliness that comes with attaining your fantasies and finding that they are not enough (read: the scene in which Alex, high on vice, stumbles completely naked out to the pool–where teenagers are copulating and filming it all on camera for online distribution–and plunges in, attempting to shut everything out). As a teenager, there was always a certain orgiastic essence to house parties, people sneaking off to bathrooms and guest bedrooms to hook up, spin the bottle and escalating dares, so that the possibilities of such an event happening, as it did in real life, do not seem far-fetched. The imagery and cinematography of the movie is spectacular. The control of light and palette is exquisite, so that a normally vulgar tableau–consider Harmony Korine's "Kids", all grit and no softness–is rendered soft and ambient. There are some shots that could come straight out of a pre-Raphaelite painting. And maybe that's what's so beautiful about this movie; youth isn't some dispensable, ephemeral quantity of life, regardless of its course, youth does guide our lives, and teaches us that to be happy, you have to risk being hurt.

** Please Note Slight Plot Spoiler ahead** This is an unusual film in that it is dealing with middle class teenagers who decide to let it all hang out – literally and then the curse of the social media gets involved. It is told around the main character of a young man who is a silver tongued charmer and extremely manipulative. He gets other teenagers to join him in his sexual dalliances and they party where anything goes. What starts out as a 'bit of fun' soon takes on a much darker hue and it is a very interesting journey for all involved. Now this is the sort of film where I felt not a lot happened – it is a slow build up. However, when you sit back and think about it, then I realised that there was a lot more subtleties going on which actually needed the build up to work. The acting is all fine and there is a fair bit of nudity. If you like your films fast and the plot spelled out then this will probably be one to avoid, but if you are up for a bit of Gallic indiscretion then you may well find something here to like.

With even theatrical French films being largely financed by television these days, it's perhaps not surprising so much modern French cinema is devoted to "social problem" films like this. Although this is allegedly based on a true story, I don't know that middle-class teenagers engaging in wild sex orgies is really all that widespread of social problem even in France (although I'm sure a lot of horny male teenagers probably WISH it was a widespread social problem). More likely this was a "man-bites-dog" story that got attention from the French media because it was UNUSUAL, not because it was necessarily typical of what a lot of French teens are up to these days. Still, if this were an American film, it would undoubtedly be either much more alarmist or much more exploitative (or perhaps both in the case of something like Larry Clark's "Kids"). This film, however, remains fairly non-judgmental and realistic. Its three protagonists--a shy male musician and two girls who get played by the same smooth-talking "player"--are realistic and sympathetic, even if the background given of their problems and their home-life doesn't really account for why they would become juvenile swingers. But I suppose teenagers don't necessarily need any more excuses to be sexually promiscuous than adults do. It's probably not a coincidence that there are a lot more French films about middle-class teenage or college students who become prostitutes ("Student Services", "Young and Beautiful") or all decide to get pregnant ("17 Filles") or engage in sex orgies like this then there are about teenagers who do their homework, generally listen to their parents, and are focused on getting into a good university. Still, this film is not nearly as exploitative as it COULD be. There is a fair amount of nudity (actually more male than female), but it's not all that shocking since all the actors look at least five years too old to actually BE teenagers. (They're all pretty attractive too in the naturalistic French way). Still, I miss the more old-style French films that are more arty and/or literary and personal and are focused on singular characters as opposed to "real", but frankly also quite boring, people.

Only the French can make a movie entirely about sex this aimless, pointless, thoughtless, pretentious, and boring. The metaphors were crude, obvious, and unimaginative. The "conclusions" were like something one finds on a milk carton, a cigarette pack, or a fifteen-second commercial message from the local public health office. The writer couldn't be bothered to do elementary research so used creative giants like Van Gogh and Nietzsche as throwaway figures who "died of syphilis," showing a level of arrogance, entitlement, and hubris that makes silly American kids in their flicks look positively dutiful, mature, stoical, and heroic by comparison. Van Gogh died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the belly, not syphilis. There is no evidence that Nietzsche ever had sex, period, a level of loneliness so heartbreaking it underscores my conviction that the writer of this trash, standing on tiptoe, couldn't reach the bottom of either man's boot.