Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Gutsycurene Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

Plustown A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Big Wheel This film was nothing more than exploitative gay cheesecake. It was not an "art" movie; just an excuse to show several gratuitous, exploitative, over-the-top scenes with extensive male genital nudity. There was a locker room scene involving over a dozen naked men. The camera zooms in on the men's asses and penises as they are portrayed for several minutes with their dicks in full screen view. There are several scenes in this film showing penis after penis. It gets redundant REAL fast and makes it impossible to take this film seriously. I was wondering if I was watching a Playgirl video by mistake. If these same scenes were filmed using women (ex: totally naked and showing their vaginas repeatedly) it would be quickly dismissed as just softcore porn and an excuse to show a lot of eye candy...which is all that this film is. Any artistic merit got flushed down the drain of the gay ghetto mentality. The themes of class distinction, homosexuality, longing-desire, etc. were simple and superficial; no more developed than what one would expect from a first year philosophy student. Just cut to the chase and rent a gay porn instead.

nicholas-salerno Grand Ecole (Famous School), France, 2004, d. Robert Salis, 110 m. Grand Ecole is a stunning evocation of contemporary life among rich young people is an exclusive French school. While Paul (Gregori Baquet) is ostensibly the film's focus, the narrative is actually constructed around a group of characters all equally important and all of them beautiful. It's a sort of French version of Friends, but with fewer laughs, more talk, and much more sex. The sex is hetero-, homo-, and bi-. Paul loves Louis-Arnault and Agnes and Meclir (a younger Arab boy). Grand Ecole is complex and extremely erotic, a French take on sexual and religious politics and on class distinctions. It would probably be rated R for strong sexual situations and nudity—Nick Salerno

Neil Doyle Credit the director with getting a cast of unknowns to give very credible performances--an ensemble of attractive young people who have certainly put themselves into these roles. The relationships seem real and all of the main actors acquit themselves well. The story basically follows the lives of five students and a construction worker as they explore truths about each other in a situation ruled by a strong-willed girl who decides to play a game of entrapment when she suspects her boyfriend is sexually interested in his roommate.But the script is a talky one and goes in all directions trying to steer us into thinking homosexuality is clearly a question of choice or that a simple homoerotic experience for a man can change his whole perspective on life. It's a muddy theory that the author/director are striving to execute on film, but they end up with a story of unrequited passions that goes nowhere in the end.A scene of sexual fulfillment between two men is artfully presented and tastefully photographed. But there is an artificial air whenever the sexual themes are being explored. The only exception is the shower room scene where the hero tries to hide his interest in the showering athletes.The picture is actually one long-winded mind game that it plays upon the protagonist (and the audience) and nothing memorable or strong enough happens to give it a high recommendation.You have to wonder who the target audience is for a film of this type which seems to be sending mixed messages.

jgmkok I think that this movie is a kind of modern version of Maurice, the love from the upper class for the lower class is now transformed to a theme of this century. I liked the set and the story. Especially the start in Carcasonne is amazing, really beautiful castle with the fireworks. The script can be understand by a lot of people. To study for the first time and have roommates to cope with and fall in love. The complexity of this upper school and what this does to your feelings derives perfect from this movie. Being in love with a woman and then discover your other feelings, very realistic. The music is also good. I can recommend this movie to everybody. I only think the poster does not cover the story. It does not give the right impression.