“Cold Showers” (“Douches froides”) is a curious little French film, directed by Antony Cordier, about a teen (hopefully 18+ but this is Europe) triangle, with two young men on the judo team. Vanessa (Salome Stevenin) is probably more of a catalyst then a heroine.
Mickael (Johan Libereau) struggles in school and his parents have problems that remind one of the 2008 crisis (the film was made in 2005 but socialistic France is not always a bed of roses for the underprivileged by any means). He befriends Clement (Pierre Perrier), from a well-to-do family with a disabled father. But, unlike the case of so many films, Clement is a charismatic, totally likeable character who helps other people and is not spoiled in any sense. The home scene that introduces him has the Mozart Requiem playing.
The technical scenes involving judo or karate are interesting, and eventually there is a ménage of sorts mixed in with the sport. Mickael and Clement never really become interested in one another, although the film seems to set up that expectation for LGBT audiences. There is a subplot about Mickael having to make weight, and in one scene is made to puke so that he just gets under; the whole episode shows how far men have to go for competitive sports.
The director views his film as a set of metaphors: sports is a sublimation for sexuaity, and the threesome is a metaphor for class struggle. In the end, the rich win. His remarks do suggest sexual tension between the young men as just below the surface, coming out in the physical contact of sport. He also views adolescence as a metaphor for political renaissance. Perhaps some will see the film as a "left wing" political statement. Michael Moore belongs in this crowd.
The DVD is distributed by Picture This! which often distributes LGBT movies. The theatrical distributor was Bac films. (Do not confuse the film with "Cold Souls".)
Wikimedia attribution link for Paris picture here.
I was in Paris in 1999 and 2001.
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