Close to Leo (TV 2002)
"Tout contre Léo" (original title)

When 21 year-old Leo, the oldest of four brothers, announces to his rural French family that he's HIV+ family bonds are tested. The family decides that 11 year Marcel, the youngest, is too ... See full summary »

Director:

Christophe Honoré

Writers:

Diastème, Christophe Honoré (novel)

Stars:

Yaniss Lespert, Pierre Mignard, Marie Bunel

Cast

Credited cast:
Yaniss Lespert	...	Marcel
Pierre Mignard	...	Léo
Marie Bunel	...	Mother
Rodolphe Pauly	...	Tristan
Jérémie Lippmann	...	Pierrot
Dominic Gould	...	Father
Louis Gonzales	...	Yvan
Joana Preiss	...	Yvan's Mother
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Alex Beaupain	...	(as Alexandre Beaupain)
Assaad Bouab	...	Aymeric
Sylvie Contant
Julien Honoré
Laurent Honoré
Anna Kerivel
Gwen Le Gac

Storyline

When 21 year-old Leo, the oldest of four brothers, announces to his rural French family that he's HIV+ family bonds are tested. The family decides that 11 year Marcel, the youngest, is too young to understand and the family agrees to keep the unsettling news from him. Marcel overhears enough to understand that something amiss with Leo and when the two travel to Paris together, Marcel confronts Leo with what he suspects.

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Plot Keywords:

train station | tape recording | hospital | swollen gland | burial | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

18 October 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Close to Leo

Filming Locations:

Brittany, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Image et Compagnie, M6 Métropole Télévision

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

User Reviews

worthy but flawed effort

There is a lot to like here. The actors are first rate and the script provides good dialog best capturing the ambiance of a tightly knit, likable family. However, for that reason the film does not ring true. We see Leo, who apparently just learned of his HIV positive diagnosis, essentially react in a way that is not in tune to the supportive atmosphere for which he finds himself. As well, the film ends somewhat abruptly avoiding what Leo, his brother and the rest of this close family must have dealt with in light of their love for him. The young actor who plays Leo's brother, Marcel, is impressive as generally is the rest of the cast. Unfortunately, the scriptwriters could not decide onwhether they wanted an insightful dissertation on the effects of HIV on a functional, appealing family or what the devastation HIV is on the victim - so it only hints at both. While this film provides food for thought it leaves the viewer wanting much more than it delivers.