Full Speed

REVIEW
An assured feature film debut for actor Morel (Wild Reeds), Full Speed delves into the tangled sexual lives of several young people in rural France. Samir (Bardadi), a handsome teenager of Arab descent, becomes moody and alienated after his intensely close friend dies in an accident. He rediscovers happiness when he befriends a group of young people, including Quentin, a writer, Julie, his twenty-year-old free-spirited girlfriend, and eighteen-year-old Jimmy, a gorgeous tough guy who’s always in trouble. While Julie and Jimmy begin to have an affair, Samir falls violently in love with a tentatively accepting Quentin. But when Quentin wants to end the affair, Samir’s obsession disturbs the closeness and tranquility of the group. Director Gael borrows more than he should have from his mentor André Téchiné's classic film. The similarities are so obvious as to be embarrassing, but if taken alone, Morel’s film successfully captures the drama of young lust, bisexuality, unrequited love and racial prejudice.