User reviews

German film director Tomas (Franz Rogowski) and his British commercial artist husband Martin (Ben Whishaw) have been together for 15 years ...quite an achievement, I'd say, given just how immature, capricious and utterly self-obsessed Tomas routinely shows himself to be. Pretty much the only glue holding them together appears to be the fact that, whatever else may have gone stale between them, the sex is still good.

Although the script never explicitly mentions it, it would appear that theirs is an exclusive marriage: i.e. There are no intimations given to suggest that it's an open relationship, in which permission to "play away" has been agreed - so when, out of the blue, Tomas finds himself intensely attracted to a 20-something female schoolteacher called Agathe - an attraction he pursues with typically impulsive selfishness and no regard for anybody's feelings but his own - the impact on Martin (and, in due course, Agathe) is just as seismic as you'd expect.

Essentially what we have here is a portrait of a narcissist, in thrall to his own impulses, manipulative and duplicitous when it suits his purpose, and incapable of facing up to the consequences of his actions. Tomas is a study in arrested development: emotionally he's barely more than a toddler - a little boy who, on seeing a shiny new toy, must have it, and cannot understand why everybody else can't just go with his flow and let him have his way.

It's a tough challenge to play an unlikeable character and still keep your audience invested in them, but Rogowski pulls it off superbly, showing us that Tomas is as much a victim of his destructive personality traits as is everyone else who falls foul of them. As much as I despised Tomas's behaviour, I couldn't help but find myself feeling sympathy for his damaged soul. In that final night-time bike ride through Paris - having lost, by his own actions, everything of genuine value - he is truly heading nowhere.

Addendum: In the course of this movie I learned a frankly jaw-dropping, thing - that, in the 21st century, French schools have appallingly lax security: apparently any random stranger can get on the premises and barge into a classroom!

Not all films need to be message driven, but I think any director or writer makes a film because they have something to say. In that sense, I'm not sure what 'Passages' wanted to say.

There was an ample potential to make an interesting social cut in the age of more fluid sexuality. "don't pigeon-hall yourself", "follow your heart"", you could be anything and love anybody"... and so on all sound great, but how it actually works in reality, and how it could clash with the traditional idea of a committed relationship, gender roles, and responsibility of a parenthood. There still are remnants of such questions and reflections in 'Passages'. Problem is Tomas is too big a rotten character and consumes all the drama. He's self absorbed (resulting in being selfish even without a malicious intend), cowardly, dishonest with himself and others, emotionally needy yet wants to dominate the situation, and above all manipulative (oh, and his fashion sense is pretty atrocious, but that's just based on my taste). It makes in contrast his male and female partners innocent victims, leaving very little room for a balanced reflection on sexuality/relationship/gender role issues.

Maybe a social commentary was not the director's intention. Maybe a character study was the goal? But surprisingly we don't really get to see the depth of Tomas and even less of Martin and Agathe. Why is Tomas the way he is? What was Tomas's relationship with Martin like before the storm? What did Tomas really see in Agathe and the future with her?

All the sex scenes were fun to watch, but if a character study was the goal maybe the film could have used those minutes more towards... well, to show the character. 'A rotten character ruins the lives of others' is too obvious a conclusion for a character study or even just any old relationship drama.

Passages is an OK drama. Technically sufficient and actings are decent (though I think it failed to utilize all the potential of such interesting actors as Whishaw and Rogowski). But it left me wondering what it really was all for... or is it just me out of my depth?

Who knows what routes were taken to be you, the entrances and doorways you've passed through, the aisles and the channels, the thoroughfares you've unravelled, the barriers you've broken and forced through. As you begin a fresh departure from your husband, deploying all your tools, with a brand new hand, falling for French girl Agathe, trying on restyled hat, nipping back to make sure flames are truly fanned. As the music stops you look for a new chair, continuing with conflict and despair, like a ball (a pair even) you bounce around, a kind of yo-yo is unwound, until you're snookered and then left, to go nowhere.

Intimacy can be a beautiful thing. However, it can also become something messy, hurtful and emotionally devastating when tainted by self-serving agendas, irresponsible intentions, or reckless, short-sighted experimentation, influences that can purposely or unwittingly end up wreaking widespread havoc. Such is the case in writer-director Ira Sachs's new domestic drama about a flamboyant, free-spirited gay male filmmaker, Tomas (Franz Rogowski), who impulsively jumps into an impromptu fling with a woman, Agathe (Adèle Exarchopoulos), a relationship that leaves his longtime husband, Martin (Ben Whishaw), unsure of what the couple's future might hold. As time passes, circumstances grow increasingly complicated as each member of this unlikely trio tries to sort out what lies ahead, particularly with the emergence of Tomas's ever-growing thoughtless capriciousness. Some viewers may look upon the story's shockingly reprehensible developments as improbable and appalling, but, sadly, as anyone who has ever watched tabloid TV can probably attest, the events depicted here might not appear as far-fetched as one might think. In that respect, this offering presents a bold, courageous, honest look at what can go awry in situations like this, an account loaded with incensed outrage, unbridled ire, biting humor and more than a little cynicism. It's a narrative that some audience members may find offensive, even deplorable, but, like a horrific car accident, it's also something that many viewers might find difficult to look away from, thanks in large part to the wholly convincing performances of the three protagonists. Sensitive viewers should be aware that the film includes a fair amount of explicit and provocative sexual content, so those easily offended by such material may not want to put this one on their watch lists. However, for those who appreciate domestic dramas that hold nothing back and that aren't afraid to get down and dirty in their portrayals of what can happen, this release is about as good as any out there. Just be prepared to be left with your jaw agape - and your head spinning.

"Tomas" (Franz Rogowski) and husband "Martin" (Ben Whishaw) find their marriage severley tested when the former man starts to fall for "Agathe" (Adèle Exarchopoulos) and that passion drives "Martin" into the arms of "Amad" (Erwan Kepoa Falé). What now ensues is, frankly, a rather dull introspective of characters that didn't really leap off the screen at me. Rogowski can be a charismatic actor, but here he offers us a rather unremarkable characterisation of a horny man who wants to have his cake and eat it. Whishaw is, routinely these days on screen, just a bit weedy and presents another weakly constructed individual who seems content not to fight for the man he's supposed to love. It all just rolls along without really catching fire, it's over-scripted and though it may well have a visual authenticity to it, it's all just a bit so what? The production and pacing all contribute to the general ennui of the film and to be honest, I was just a bit disappointed with this whole thing. I saw it at the cinema this week, but I suspect even the most ardent fans of these three can wait for a television screening.

As you see from the trailer a gay man in a gay marriage has sex with a woman. Don't think you'll find out why. You won't. His gay husband is OK with that. Don't know why. He just seems to sleep with one or the other as he pleases and nobody seems to object. There is almost no pressure on him to choose between them so don't expect any drama. I'm not telling you the ending but it's as calm as the rest of the film. Is he in love with either of them? Don't know. So I am giving it a 6. It's not bad but it doesn't go anywhere and doesn't answer any questions about the characters. Given the potential material it's very disappointing.

I Just spent 90 enjoyable minutes, watching "Passages" by the talented Ira Sachs. I'm not sure if this film has precise real life references, but the protagonist is a movie director who is egocentric and insecure. He is so insecure that he fakes emotions and affection, while he is only constantly looking for sex and attention. The film is very enjoyable for the extraordinary performances of the actors, who give a true tour de force. Especially Adele Exarchpoulos, (La Fidele), makes every scene she is in a pleasure to watch. They make us think that maybe we are all a little bit like this, at least at some point in our lives."

"Passages" is a master class in building a film around an unlikable character.

Franz Rogowski gives a commanding performance full of charisma and sex appeal as a sexually fluid narcissist who can't stand to let anyone around him be happy without him (or even really with him, for that matter). Viewed with a live audience, the movie becomes almost something of a comedy, and it was a hoot hearing the people in the theater with me reacting with more and more vocal disbelief at just what a jerk this main character could be. It's a morbidly fascinating character study -- it's almost like watching a day in the life of a sociopath.

I should have been exasperated with this character and movie and probably would have been if it had been handled differently. But as is, with Ira Sachs's excellent direction and the film's terrific acting, it's instead one of the best movies I've seen so far this year.

Grade: A.

More promise than execution, "Passages" tackles twentysomethings navigating gender fluid sexuality with Paris as the backdrop. Welcome to the Tomas, Martin and Agathe dance. Narcissist and disagreeable German film director, Tomas is the unfortunate rotten core here. His marriage to Martin is disrupted by a purely sexual tryst with fetching schoolteacher Agathe, and Tomas can't wait to gush about his walk on the straight side to his husband. Things don't go well.

An interesting premise for sure, but one that plays out sloppily, without any character development to speak of, unless Tomas' deplorable indifference counts. An ugly persona, with an appearance to match - a patchy beard, gaunt features, a snaky lisp and a horrific wardrobe (which ironically, is getting kudos from GQ) - it's a bit of a puzzle as to his alure. Surprisingly, he's quite dull to boot, which makes for an odd protagonist: a difficult one to hate, or care for.

"Passages" takes stabs at the French New Wave, dishing up randy youth moving aimlessly through Paris to a jazzy backdrop, but with the exception of a lovely, film-closing evening bike ride, doesn't hit the mark. Without style, the absence of substance dominates this lackluster experience.

• hipCRANK.

This is a very grounded film that challenges the viewers morality and values. The "Peter Pan" protagonist is a hedonistic director fumbling through love and life and refusing to "grow up". He thinks everyone will accept his choices because he assumes the world is on the same page: reality hits very differently. I like the exploration of queerness in this film and the torments of fluidity.

The performances are quite spectacular, especially by Adèle Exarchopoulous. Time and again she proves to be sexy, vulnerable, exquisite in every frame.

Franz Rogowski has a very Phoenix brothers quality to him and portrays the complex and haunted character very effectively, navigating from sexy, commanding, vulnerable to selfish and self-centered.

A very simple film about very complex humans. I think the cinematography, the casting, the writing, the direction all point to a masterful filmmaking that delves deeply into the contemporary human condition where we all still have a very long way to go before accepting each other for who we are.

Passages is an intense exploration of human relationships, power dynamics, and the complexities of love and lust. Franz Rogowski delivers a good performance as Freiburg, encapsulating the essence of an egocentric artist bored with his current relationship. His portrayal is deep and multifaceted, capturing the director's lack of empathy and inner turmoil with a striking realism.

Ben Whishaw's portrayal of Martin, Tomas' husband, is equally compelling. The dynamic between the two is fraught with tension, as Tomas' callous treatment of Martin, referring to him as a 'brother,' lays bare the emotional chasm between them. Whishaw brings a subtle yet powerful depth to his role, making the audience empathize with his character's emotional journey.

The entrance of Agathe, played by the magnetic Adèle Exarchopoulos, adds a new layer to this intricate narrative. Her chemistry with Rogowski is palpable, suggesting not just a sexual connection but a deeper, more complex bond.

The film's pacing is deliberate, focusing on character development over action. This slow burn allows the audience to fully immerse themselves in the psychological complexities of the characters. As the story progresses, the realization that we are dealing with sociopaths hits with a jarring impact, adding a dark twist to the narrative.

The shift from sensuality to harshness and the overtaking of passion by self-absorption lends "Passages" a bitter, almost cautionary tone. This shift gives a psychological weight to the film, moving it beyond mere romantic drama to something more profound and unsettling.

I really disliked this film. Which is a shame, because it is done with intelligence. The problem is, of the three leads, only one character is truly fleshed out and dynamic. And unfortunately that character, Tomas, is just a major a-hole. It's great to show flawed characters. But you may have made a character too flawed when every time he appears on screen, I have the urge to give him the finger. I kept thinking, "If only Tomas was hit by a truck. Not only would I like the film more, but the other characters would free of this self-absorbed jerk. I couldn't wait for this film to be over! I gave it 4 stars out 10 and that's being very generous.

It's intriguing and captivating, the spectacle relies on the destructiveness of narcissism and it becomes painful to watch.

Acting is honestly great, and cinematography varies from good, to beautiful, the ending, visually is stunning. The soundtrack is lacking at times, but it manages to make you feel uneasy when it needs to.

It's definitely an interesting watch, but it doesn't go much further than that. The 91 minute (1h 31m) runtime felt significantly longer than it actually was, I'd attribute that to some scenes that were a bit drawn out, complemented by their uncomfortable nature.

It's good, it carries emotion and character, but I wouldn't watch it again.

"In the central role, Rogowski is a marvel to behold, with his cleft lip, throaty mumbling, wiry physique and sinuousness, his Tomas is an unconventional but passionate lover one finds very difficult to resist, also Sachs's camera really loves him, sexing him up in various tantalizing angles, customarily in the buff. The sex scenes are bold and riveting, with Whishaw vehemently shattering one's preconception of the designated roles in a gay couple, which is also very fluid. As the two supporting stanchions, both Whishaw and Exarchopoulos hold on their own staunchly, even the script doesn't purvey them any chance of upstaging (still, one must hand it to Whishaw's snot for the amusement)."

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There's something beautifully raw about European cinema. "Passages" is a film about how a person's ego can cause other people pain. A movie about how a person does not feel whole inside of a relationship but needs constant affirmation and sometimes is getting that by causing pain to the other person. "Passages" is a movie about the complexity of relationships and about that dynamic between the pair. The protagonist is a really easy to hate person portrayed brilliantly by Rogowski. You simply cannot find yourself rooting for that guy, he just acts like everyone is owning him their admiration and love. Ben Whishaw plays the betrayed husband. He allows himself to be directed by his husband's whims until he really cannot take them any longer. Exarchopoulos is portraying the new love interest. Everything just happens to show us that people like our protagonist are bound to make other people unhappy because they have no sense of self control. An interesting exploration of human relationships and human psychology, "Passages" is a really good movie.

Intimacy can be a beautiful thing. However, it can also become something messy, hurtful and emotionally devastating when tainted by self-serving agendas, irresponsible intentions, or reckless, short-sighted experimentation, influences that can purposely or unwittingly end up wreaking widespread havoc.

Synopsis: Celebrated filmmaker Ira Sachs (Love is Strange) makes a breathtaking return with PASSAGES, a fresh, honest and brutally funny take on messy, modern relationships, starring Franz Rogowski (Great Freedom), Ben Whishaw (Women Talking) and Adèle Exarchopoulos (Blue Is the Warmest Colour). Set in Paris, this seductive drama tells the story of Tomas (Rogowski) and Martin (Whishaw), a gay couple whose marriage is thrown into crisis when Tomas begins a passionate affair with Agathe (Exarchopoulos), a younger woman he meets after completing his latest film.

Tomas (Franz Rogowski) is a German film-maker based in Paris and is bisexual. Married to Martin (Ben Whishaw), an English commercial artist, Tomas has an extra-marital affair with Agathe (Adèle Exarchopoulos) who teaches young children. Martin responds by getting involved with Amad (Erwan Kepoa Falé), a novelist.

"Passages" is well acted all around. It can also be a vicarious romp for some viewers to feel the 'bohemian' lifestyle of cosmopolitan Paris we don't normally live but might temporarily enjoy while viewing others' lives. But the film does have liabilities.

The main character, Tomas, is too low in integrity and inner strength to be likeable. To a degree, the same might be said of Martin, too. Their last scene together could have used more depth in the dialogue to reveal more about them. Further, a scene in which Tomas suddenly appears at Agathe's workplace was too flighty.

Another flaw of Tomas and Martin is that they treat lovers (including each other) as dispensable especially the narcissistic Tomas. The story doesn't delve into why they behave that way. Thankfully, Agathe and Amad are pleasant, sympathetic, and solid in character. The film might have been better if these two were the main characters. - dbamateurcritic.

This movie's faint appeal as a post-modern take on a love triangle seems exhausted by the implausible image, featured in many promotional cards, of Franz Rogowski's sneering Tomas jazz-snuggling up to Adèle Exarchopoulos' Agathe on a dance floor. Tantalizing, but no, the film does not explain how this pair makes any chemical, emotional, or even symbolic sense. Franz Rogowski has a convincing restraint and charisma as an outsider in films like "In den Gängen" or "Transit," but here, cast in a sexual melodrama (between characters Tomas, Martin, and Agathe) as a self-obsessed bourgeois, he acts as if he were a guy who manages a cable company by day and was hired for this film because of his eyebrows. That said, Rogowski has little in the script to work with: why any character should care about this selfish oaf is head-ache-making opaque. The script tempts Rogowski into an egotistical flatness, his voice a monotonous whine, whose musical equivalent is a beginner's huffing atonally on a saxophone, alone. The character knows no boundaries. Part demon-child, part mindless fungus, he one minute halts ordinary conversations imperiously and the next shows up uninvited (opening doors himself), babbling needy demands in somebody's dwelling or workplace. Aiming for the top edge of the goal, the filmmakers instead deliver Tomas as a kind of compound of all the silly-shirt, night-scene poseurs in the history of Saturday Night Live, going back to Dan Ackroyd's "wild and crazy guy," Bill Hader's Stefon, and the Roxbury Guys of Ferrell and Kattan. However, Tomas's nylon tank and midriff-baring macrame-top collection beats all of these SNL figures in a race to "ridiculous." We are supposed to believe that a woman, played by Adèle Exarchopoulos, who recalls Monica Vitti and Anna Karina in her voluptuous elegance, toughness, and vulnerability, is obsessed with a sniveling, narcissistic twit, a dying fire-pit of acrid banalities. Unsurprisingly, after about five minutes of film time, Exarchopoulos resonates an odd fatigue incompatible with Agathe's allegedly incandescent fascination with Tomas, and she betrays a glowing concern that the actress, not the character, is in a bad dream: this movie. Ben Whishaw as Martin is such a maestro that he is the only one of the three (in other work excellent) principal actors who can bring himself fully to the script with a believable, developing, pained realization, but the film at large is so full of abrupt, nonsensical leaps of mood and commitment that the whole exercise could be a workshop in which the players were challenged to vitalize premises that make scant sense. Another film that much more convincingly allows the wonderful Adèle Exarchopoulos to play on a plane of "nothing left to lose" is Rien à foutre (2021).

Nothing good in ambiguous relationships.

In the course of life, sentimental "passages" from one person to another form the personal l of finding a nice relationship to last for good. Here you find only disappointment both for gay people or straight, as nothing good happens except sex.

A very good cinematic view in a particular love condition leading to an impass cause the opposite decision - dislike of the involved woman. So, a tough demonstration for both protagonists and their viewers on screen.

All actors especially Exarchopoulos. Played persuadivly the difficult characters in this romance of love and disappointment in the city of artiststs and lost illusions, Paris!