A schoolboy love affair ends in a traumatic night. Christophe Charrier's film Jonas is a thriller, coming-out film and romantic drama all in one. In the centre of it all: Félix Maritaud, the new star of gay cinema.
He's done it again. Jonas has been thrown out of the gay club "Boys Paradise" in a high arc, only this time he even has to go to the police station. First making out with a guy on the dance floor, then biting his arm and starting a fight. Not exactly what you would call a successful evening and good manners in gay nightlife.
And then his lover kicks him out of the flat. It was just one fight and at least one Grindr date too many.
French director Christophe Charrier leaves the audience in the dark for a long time about what drives this well-trained, tattooed and impulsive 33-year-old.
As a teenager, Jonas is the classic victim type
Why is he stalking the young, obviously heterosexual guy called Léo via social networks and then in real life? At least it doesn't seem to be sexual fascination.
In what follows, Charrier only reveals a small, further piece of Jonas' story at a time, creating an almost thriller-like, dark atmosphere with strong images that are also lavishly contrasted in colour.
The film repeatedly jumps back 18 years. Back then, in 1997 in the south of France, Jonas is still a slight, pale schoolboy (played very convincingly by Nicolas Bauwens).
Without friends, quiet and withdrawn, a classic victim type who is bullied in class. "You're rubbish," one of his classmates slams him in the face.
And then this new pupil arrives and confidently takes the seat next to Jonas. Nathan (Tommy Lee Baik) has to repeat the grade. He is therefore not only older than the dutiful Jonas, but also fascinates with his confident demeanour, his charm - and a mysterious scar on his left cheek.
Fascinating and traumatising first love
At first, Nathan teaches Jonas to smoke and seduces him into skipping class for the first time ever. And so they sit in the school sports hall, flattening themselves on the gym mats - and Jonas experiences his first kiss and his first - reciprocated - love.
The fact that the two are now even more of a target of ridicule frightens Jonas, but Nathan knows how to take revenge (original and extremely effective, by the way :..).
In the exuberance of their happiness, all that remains is to conquer the city's famous "Boys Paradise". However, this paradise remains closed to them. Even more so when the bouncer turns the teenagers away.
From here, the night takes an unforeseen and fatal course.
Only gradually does it become clear what trauma Jonas has been carrying around with him for 18 years. What drives him to "Boys Paradise" again and again without him really being able to have fun there. And why he can't let go of his now completely outdated Game Boy.
Intelligent and exciting design
However, Christophe Charrier not only interweaves the two time periods so skilfully and intelligently that a coherent narrative emerges - which is at once a thriller, a coming-out story and, last but not least, a romantic drama with two extremely convincing Jonas actors.
Félix Maritaud, who plays the older Jonas, is back in the film business after roles in "120 BPM" and "Sauvage" is well on the way to becoming the star of contemporary gay cinema (not only) in France.
"Jonas". France 2018, written and directed by Christophe Charrier. With Félix Maritaud, Nicolas Bauwens, Tommy Lee Baik, Aure Atika. German dubbed version.
Screenings will take place as part of the Queer Film Night in May. More information and all cinema dates throughout Germany at https://queerfilmnacht.de.
Link to the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIT0SkfkOYw
