Review by A. Hickman
Rating:
In a perfect world, all screenplays would be perfect. I’d like to be able to report that the screenplay to “Un amour a taire” (A Love to Hide) is perfect, especially as it covers such an important, and hitherto neglected subject, as the “reeducation” of homosexuals under the Nazis in Vichy France; but, alas, it is not. There are holes in the plot, and motivation is often unclear. In addition, the viewer is sometimes spoon-fed images that are intended to underscore important themes, but which just seem contrived. I am thinking, for instance, of the moment when Jean’s father puts up the sign refusing to serve Jews at the family laundry. Remarkably, a young, beautifully turned out, Jewish woman, and her son, just happen to be about to enter the laundry. Jean then gets a chance to show his humanity when he takes the bundle of laundry she has come to collect out to the woman and lets her have it for free. But even this kind of manipulation cannot undermine the film itself, the lynchpin of which is a riveting performance by up-and-coming French superstar, Jeremie Renier (also so very good in “The Baby”) as Jean. He commands attention from his very first appearance, and he maintains it until his tragic last. The entire cast is good, although characters are often underwritten, as in the case of Jean’s lover, Phillipe. It’s not until the very end of the film that we come to know, and understand, Jean’s parents. But I want to recommend this film as a history lesson, one that demonstrates what comes of the kind of hate that takes a particular set of human beings and demonizes them. The tragedy is that this sort of thing is still going on today, particularly in countries like Iran, which recently hanged two teenage boys for being gay. The tendency exists even in America, where hate-mongers like Fred Phelps reutinely assign homosexuals to hell. I don’t know how much a film like this can do to educate people, but I do know that such education is necessary. In spite of its flaws, “A Love to Hide” performs a valuable service in illustrating, as does the earlier film “Bent,” how overmastering and dehumanizing a force hatred can be.

Review by Jason Tsongas
Rating:
I was lucky enough to see this movie at ImageOut 2006 – The Rochester, NY Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival. By far this was one of the best movies of the festival and one of the best movies I have ever seen. This is an absolute must see movie.

Awards:

Jury Award – Best Feature – Miami LGBT Film Festival

Audience Award – Best Feature – Miami LBGT Film Festival

Audience Award – Best Feature – Toronto LGBT Film Festival

Audience Award – Best Feature – Outfest: LA Gay & Lesbian Film Festival

Audience Award – Best Feature – Philadelphia Int’l LGBT Film Festival

Audience Award – Best Feature – Chicago Gay & Lesbian Film Festival

Warning: The evil and atrocities of WWII are not down played in the least.

Review by Bob Lind
Rating:
“Un amour à taire” (“A Love To Hide”) (French, 2005) tells the story of Sara (Louise Monot) and Jean (Jérémie Renier), close friends from childhood camp, whose paths cross again years later during the Nazi occupation of Paris. Sara, who is Jewish, sees her parents and sister killed by the Gestapo after being double-crossed by someone who was paid to safeguard them, and seeks out Jean, the only other person she knows in Paris. Jean, now in his late 20′s, works for his family-owned laundry business, and is secretly in a four year relationship with his boyfriend, Phillipe (Bruno Todeschini), who is involved in the French underground. Phillipe gets Sara a new identity, and Jean gets her a job in the laundry. When Jean’s brother, Jacques (Nicolas Gob) gets out of prison on a smuggling charge, he is attracted to Sara, and first sees Jean as an opponent for her affactions. When he finds out that Jean is gay, he conspires with one of his smuggler contacts to have him detained for an evening by the police, then get released due to his “connections”, thinking that would make both Jean and Sara indebted to him. This backfires when Jean’s sexuality becomes known, and he is sent off to prison and eventually a German concentration camp, while things start to fall apart at home.

A highly emotional, engrossing and simply outstanding film, brilliantly directed and acted by a talented cast. First and foremost, it is a story about family, friends and love, at a time in history when there was little else that one could depend upon. Fremch with English subtitles, won 9 awards at major gay and lesbian film festivals. One of the most moving and outright BRILLIANT films I have seen in years! Five bold stars out of five!