Le souffle

Damien Odoul makes his directorial debut with this character study of a young restless lad whose identity and burgeoning maturity is tested during a single day. Aggressive, rambunctious, and scatterbrained, David (Pierre-Louis Bonnetblanc) is a teenaged boy who lives in a remote corner of France with his uncle, his parents having long since absented his life. On one particularly fine day, David's relatives throw a barbecue for the rough and tumble country folk in the area. As the day wears on, David convinces his uncle to let him have his first taste of alcohol, and soon a round of drunken male bonding ensues. Later, David wanders away from the party and meets up with one of his friends, and soon they are exploring the fields and streams of the country. Soon this youthful reverie gives away to something darker and more serious. This film was screened at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival. - Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide