Film: “Lie With Me” (2022) starring Victor Belmondo
What does it mean to “seek closure?” Is this just a fancy term for resolving something that’s been troubling you for years?
The two protagonists of “Lie with Me” (2022) clearly have things on their minds when they meet in the town of Cognac, in southwestern France.
Famed novelist Stéphane Belcourt (Guillaume de Tonquédec) has agreed to be the guest of honor at an event celebrating the 200th anniversary of a producer of fine cognac, even though he doesn’t touch the stuff. While he grew up in the town and left, unhappily, 35 years earlier, Stephane is still haunted by a first love he’s never quite gotten over.
Lucas (Victor Belmondo), a young Frenchman living in Los Angeles as the brand’s representative, is attending the conference with a group of American cognac distributors. He too has a secondary reason for coming: to see the town where his late father Thomas lived and to connect with people who may have known him—especially Stephane who he suspects was his dad’s gay lover.
When Stephane sees Lucas from a distance at the conference, his eyes widen: given the resemblance between the young man and Thomas. The two men begin chatting, and Stephane discovers Lucas has the same last name as Thomas, and is indeed is his son. Suddenly Lucas begins pummeling Stephane with questions about his dad. Stephane, reserved by nature, is reluctant to share details of his friendship with Thomas.
How can such a meeting bring closure? Well, for Stéphane, Lucas provides him with an unexpected opportunity to make peace with Thomas’ death and the fact that he was never able to officially say goodbye, as Thomas went off to Spain with his family after graduation (and their affair) and never returned.
For Lucas, a meeting he thought would bring closure initially does not. He only makes headway with the writer after telling Stephane that he’s read all of his novels and every one included a character with the name Thomas. We also learn that his dad, not really a reader, was enamored of everything that Stephane ever wrote.
“Lie with Me” is one of those rare examples of a movie that builds on Philippe Besson’s best-selling 2017 novel (also named “Lie with Me”) and makes it even better. Through director Olivier Peyon’s eye, we see through flashbacks the brief but joyous moments young Stephane (Jeremy Gillet) and Thomas (Julien de St-Jean) shared 35 years earlier (boogy-ing to 80s French rock-and-roll in Stephane’s bedroom for instance) as well as their abrupt and inevitable breakup.
Tonquedec is excellent as the fifty-something author, and young Victor Belmondo more than holds his own as Lucas. The spitting image of his grandfather, actor Jean-Paul Belmondo (right down to the Gallic nose), he brings the right mix of suavity and innocence that the role of Lucas demands.
While the movie clearly stands on its own, it is best appreciated after reading the book, a textbook-perfect example of star-crossed romanc
e. Not only will both bring back your memories—good and bad—of a first love, but they will also remind you to confront your demons before it’s too late. In other words, achieve closure. On Prime Video.
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