Elève Libre (French) [Private Lessons]

This film is not an easy film to watch. It's an impressive and bold movie with a repulsive story and a questionable morale, that lingers in your head for a long time and can cause some serious discussion on the topics of sexual exploitation and opportunism. There could be 2 diametrically opposite ways to decipher this film depending on what school of thought you come from. This film might not really entertain you but will make you think.

Jonas is a 16 year old vulnerable boy, who lives with his brother and his divorced mother is always traveling. Th boys are always on their own. Jonas spends his time with 3 adults Didier and Nathalie who are a couple and their friend Pierre. It is not really explained who they are and why does Jonas spend so much time with them. Jonas does bad at school, his tennis doesn't work-out either and he feels like a total looser. He get s a new girlfriend but they are having problems in sex. These 3 adults are always giving tips and advice to Jonas on everything including sex talk son the table. When Jonas has one last chance in school and he does not get money from his father, Pierre volunteers to give him private lessons. The 3 adults like Jonas but we never really know what their motive is. When his sex life with his girlfriend does not seem satisfactory, he feels like he's a looser with sex, because these adults make fun of him and his girlfriend backs off. During these private lessons things start to change when these adults start getting very very close to Jonas. It includes Jonas watching the couple having sex, Nathalie and Dierre blowing Jonas and Pierre also teaching him a few things and in the process teaching him how things work in sex. Finally Jonas gets the courage to standup for himself and questions Pierre why is he doing that. Is it because he knows Jonas is dependent on him for private lessons to pass in school. This makes Pierre very angry because according to him, all he wants to do is teach Jonas. Finally they both decide to keep everything between them strictly work related and finally film ends with Jonas passing the exams.

The movie does not deal with a "pedophile pervert behavior" but it borders between being helpful, being close and being abused. And this is where various school of thoughts can come in. The director depicts in a very distant but still not cold way the subtle changes that lead to all these things that happen. If you really want, you can blame the 3 adults but if you see the film more closely and try to argue , you can also put forward the reasons behind their actions. It is all about an individual's perspective. We are never told who these 3 adults are and what is the role of Jonas' brother but who cares. The story slowly unfolds itself. The boy playing Jonas' role definitely did a splendid job. He is totally convincing as the naive, slightly dumb but eager to learn, impressionable adolescent who outwardly shrugs away his problems rather than face or discuss them. The subtitles that I got for this film were specially bad. I have never seen such bad subs before.

Try to get your own answer on when did the road to abuse begin. Was it always planed by Pierre or was it Jonas' decision? (6/10)