Damien (Kacey Mottet Klein) is a young man trying to find his way in a world he doesn’t quite understand. His mother, Marianne (Sandrine Kiberlain) is a well-regarded doctor who helps out many of the residents of their small town, while still trying to raise her son almost entirely on her own, as her husband is overseas, fighting in a war he has been part of for far too long. Meanwhile, another young man named Thomas (Corentin Fila) is facing his own challenges – he’s the adopted son of a farming family who have done their best to raise him as their own, even if the spectre of their own failed attempts at having biological children creates a sense of unease in Thomas, who is also struggling to fit in. The two boys know each other from school, and despite sharing the common trait of being relatively unpopular, they lash out at the other rather than attempting to find the similarities that exist between them which could make them great friends. When Marianne is called out to help Thomas’ mother with what she thinks is a disease, but actually turns out to be a relatively healthy pregnancy, the lives of the two boys are brought into even more collision when Thomas is sent down to live with Damien and his family while his mother is in hospital. Over the course of the following months, the young men start to realize there’s a deeper connection between them, something that they both would prefer to leave unsaid, but with the roots of their hostility towards each other being something extremely difficult for either of them to directly address.

Realism is something quite common to cinema, with many filmmakers trying to represent life and all its challenges in as forthright and direct a manner as possible. This is certainly very true for Being 17 (French: Quand on a 17 ans), a film that stands as one of the most endearing pieces of modern cinematic realism, and a bold journey into the mind of a pair of compelling characters. The film brings together two of the most fascinating figures in French cinema – director André Téchiné, who has been a staple of the arthouse for decades, along with screenwriter Céline Sciamma, who has already begun forging a fierce path for herself as one of the most essential voices in the contemporary cinema of France, with her daring stance towards representing reality and telling enduring stories that are as interesting as they are emotionally-resonant standing her in good stead as someone who will most certainly be leading the way for future auteurs of her generation. Being 17 is an exceptionally simple film, but the rare kind of artwork that benefits less from innovation and more from the commitment to the gravity of a certain story and how sometimes the most profound moments don’t occur directly, but as a result of mere implication. The emotion in this film, much like the social commentary, is mainly left up to the audience to discern, making this film an audacious but tranquil exploration of the human condition that successfully captures the raw spirit of youth and modern love in a way very few ever manage to.

Being 17 benefits from the inter-generational collaboration between the two artists, who bring their own unique perspectives, both on life and cinema, to this film, allowing it to contain many of their distinctive qualities that work together in tandem towards the creation of a compelling tale of young love. Téchiné makes use of his decades in the industry, where his rise to prominence in the latter days of Nouvelle Vague being very clear in the poetically empathetic approach to how he looks at these characters and their situation. Sciamma brings her understanding of the contemporary youth, and her penchant towards coming-of-age stories, especially in how it looks at LGBT issues through the lens of broader social implications. Its a pairing that may not have worked due to the generational disparity between the screenwriters, yet it all comes together perfectly, with the perspectives of both screenwriters manifesting in how Téchiné helmed the film and realized the intricacies of the story that would not have been so present had the collaboration between Sciamma and him been so harmonious. There’s a certain symbiosis in how the two creatives work together to bring this film to life, and their own unique perspectives play an enormous part in how the film approaches some of its more daring narrative concepts – the assured hand of the veteran worked alongside the audacious vision of the younger auteur, bringing together a sense of artistic cohesion that worked unexpectedly well.

Another area in which Being 17 flourishes is in the performances – the film is lead by three remarkable actors, each playing a distinct and unique character that contributes to the complex ideas underpinning the film. The two main roles are occupied by Kacey Mottet Klein, who had already made quite an impressive debut a few years before in Sister, and newcomer Corentin Fila, who was making his film debut. The relationship between the two boys plays a pivotal role in the central conflict and serves as the basis for the film. It’s quite clear from the outset that there was going to be some kinship between the young men, especially through how the film shows them as being unnecessarily adversarial to the other until their true feelings are revealed later on. Deciding between the two is a fool’s errand – its impossible to determine who is the better of them because both are so compelling. The brutish insecurity of Klein’s Damien contrasts with the overwhelming fearfulness of Fila, creating a dynamic between the characters that could have only been effective had the two actors given everything to the roles, which they certainly do – their commitment to these characters is astonishing, both of them giving performances that find the balance between sensitivity and rugged masculinity, as well as demonstrating a certain sincerity that is quite rare in these kinds of performances. While they may be the focus of the film, the heart of Being 17 is Sandrine Kiberlain, who holds the film together as Marianne, a woman who has to deal with so many challenges – her own career as a doctor that sometimes erodes her spirit, her responsibilities as a mother and her fears as a wife of a man in perpetual combat. The film makes interesting use of the actress – the first two acts rely on her as a warm supporting presence that exists to bolster the central performances, but when the third-act tragedy occurs, she commands the film, mourning the loss of her husband and the realization that her son is entering adulthood. Kiberlain is astonishing in the film, and her nuance, pathos and delicate sense of humour serves the film brilliantly and gives it the gravitas it often needs to flourish.

The effectiveness of Being 17 lies in its simplicity – there’s nothing much to this film other than its attempt to be a sincere story about growing up in the contemporary world. Rather than being set in a large city, the film takes place in a smaller town, one that may not be facilitative of much growth, which creates a fascinating contrast between the characters and their situation, with the progressive ideals coming into conflict with their stagnant surroundings. Perhaps slightly formulaic in how it approaches the general tenets of the coming-of-age story (although, in the film’s defence, there aren’t many unique ways to represent the angst of teenage rebellion and the insatiable need to break free of the constraints of youth), the film does try and infuse the story with a broader understanding of modern issues, such as the LGBT undercurrent that dictates the film without overwhelming it – the film is primarily concerned with the growing relationship between the two main characters (and I dare anyone to admit to feeling nothing at the final shot, which simulatenously blends melancholy and unbridled joy in such a simple manner), but that doesn’t mean the film fails to be compelling in other ways as well – Téchiné and Sciamma craft a film that looks at multiple challenges that the young protagonists face, such as embracing the uncertainty of the future, masculinity in the modern world, the relationship between parents and children (especially in the sometimes difficult process of realizing the dynamic has changed as a child transitions into adulthood), and grief, which is something each of the characters seem to struggle with, and understandably so. Yet, despite a multitude of themes underlying it, Being 17 is remarkably lucid and never fails to adhere to the simplicity of true realism, which is often tasked with representing enormous themes in the most unfurnished way possible.

Being 17 is a wonderful film – it manages to be endearing without being overly-sentimental, and its charms are all found within its tendency to represent life exactly how it is. Whether its in the almost serendipitous pairing of Téchiné and Sciamma, or the astonishing performances that bring their story to life, there’s no denying that there’s a certain brilliance that exists in this film, one that captivates the viewer and takes us on a journey into the human condition, where every emotion is explored fully, and the roots of passion and desire are not merely plot devices, but pivotal elements that move the story forward, giving nuance to the central relationship and how it is propelled by how we react to the emotional and psychological cues that are all too often ignored for what is deemed as being socially-accepted. Being 17 is not a film that thrives on being entirely original – it sometimes appears to be very similar to many other coming-of-age stories, especially in how it approaches some of the more common themes. Yet, it stands as one of the most raw and honest portrayals of youth, a gritty representation of the sometimes unquenchable sense of desire, both carnal and emotional, that come in our formative years. Ultimately, this film intends to show that growing up is not particularly easy – we face countless challenges and find ourselves hopelessly confused – yet, these are the days that form us, leading us into adulthood by teaching us of the harsh realities and intricate joys that come with life. A heartbreaking but profoundly moving adolescent odyssey, Being 17 is a quiet triumph of social realism, coming-of-age drama and contemporary French cinema.