Starring: Olivier Rabourdin, Kirill Emelyanov, Daniil Vorobyev
Distributor: Palace Films
Runtime: 128 mins. Reviewed in Mar 2015
| 
| 
‘Eastern Boys’ is a romance wrapped in a thriller, combining elements of social commentary and the nature of love also. It deals with significant themes – immigration, prostitution, homosexuality – but it does so with an eye to a fundamental humanity shared by all.
There is a gang of youths who spend their days loitering about a Parisian train station. These are the titular ‘Eastern Boys’, largely illegal immigrants from Eastern Europe. They are essentially a large family, looking after one another under the watchful eye of Boss (Daniil Vorobyev). The youths prostitute themselves out to French men, and it is this transaction which introduces us to our protagonist Daniel (Olivier Rabourdin) and the young man who catches his eye, Marek (Kirill Emelyanov). They arrange for Marek to visit Daniel at his home the following evening. Cinematographer Jeanne Lapoirie imbues the crisp visuals with a bright, natural sense of life in the station, and the images remain engaging through the entire film.
When Daniel opens the door of his apartment to greet Marek, he is mortified to see a different, much younger boy, claiming to be Marek and forcing his way into the apartment. As the boy lectures Daniel about his arrangement – ‘it is just not right’ – he opens the door to further gang members, until all the Eastern Boys are wandering through Daniel’s home, toying with his belongings, oblivious to his presence. They begin to cart his possessions and furnishings into a truck waiting below, with Daniel watching on, unable to refuse in his shame and fear. As Daniel, Olivier Rabourdin is brilliant – with the look of a French Kevin Spacey, his blank stares are laden with overwhelming horror, hatred and sadness. The apartment stripped bare, the youths exit, leaving Daniel behind as empty as his home. Sophomore director Robin Campillo stages these moments very well, capturing a helplessness and inner tension which lesser filmmakers could have conveyed as cowardice or complicity.
As he rebuilds his life slowly, Daniel is surprised to be visited once more by Marek. Marek offers him their earlier deal – 50 Euros for ‘everything’ – and Daniel accepts. Marek’s visits become more frequent, and the earlier home invasion horror transitions to a slow ‘Pretty Woman’ style romance. Kirill Emelyanov is very natural as a young man unsure of his place, and his measured performance opens up carefully as their relationship progresses. When Marek’s continued involvement with the Eastern Boys proves to be a hurdle for the pair’s burgeoning feelings, Daniel urges him to get out, and this thrust may prove dangerous for both men up against a gang who value loyalty and unity above all.
The subject matter portrayed is by no means easy. It portrays sexual encounters which are questionable in the financial underpinnings of the unions. The conclusion throws up difficult social commentary about immigration and government dealings therewith. However, Campillo’s film doesn’t shy away from these, nor does it pass judgement – it observes, often quietly, and maintains a human touch.
12 Random Films…
