You and the Night

          
Yann Gonzalez's You and the Night, his feature debut from 2013, presents us with a motley group of strangers gathering for an orgy at an incongruous high rise apartment in the French countryside. Their hosts are a young couple and their transvestite maid, Udo, who greets the assembled guests by taking their coats and offering them speed, poppers, cocaine, MDMA and cocktails. Instead of diving into a state of dishabille, the attendees offer dreams, monologues and back stories to explain their presence at the event. These reminiscences are treated in a more stylized fashion, like the section pictured above which tips its chapeau to Rohmer's Perceval. A suicide provokes some outbursts of passion and a menage is rearranged. The end to a nice slice of French realism.

Of course, I jest. You and the Night is a transgressive art film that shows promise, but falls apart during its final act. Fans of Waters, Ozon, and Noe will be amused, but most viewers should steer clear. The film ends with a plea for alternative families, but, however heartfelt, the effect seems contrived. Part of the reason for this, is that the film's ideas, images, and tropes are borrowed from greater works. The central premise is more interestingly explored in The Exterminating Angel, The Cocktail Party, and No Exit. Gonzalez also borrows freely from de Sade, Poe, and Maya Deren. This is not a negative in itself, but there is not much else going on in this film. Just homages and recycling.

The cast is extremely variable. I want to single out Eric Cantona who plays "The Stud". One of the best footballers France has ever produced, Cantona starred with Manchester United in the 1990s until his unexpected retirement at age thirty. Saying he had lost his spark of enchantment with football, Cantona dedicated himself to an acting career and has had a credible career in supporting roles. Gonzalez does a good job milking his massive frame, especially in a scene with Beatrice Dalle as a jailhouse torturer with submissive tendencies. It's that kind of film.