I guess that "bastard" is a reasonable translation for "salaud" in "Fögi est un salaud" (1998) though I prefer "rotter." Fögi is the lead singer in the Minks, a rock band that aspires to be the French Velvet Underground (they are all French-speaking, but Fögi sings in English).

After helping the band set up one night, 15-year-old Beni sends Fögi a fan note, saying what a great singer he is and knowing that Fögi is gay. To Beni's surprise, Fögi calls him and invites him over. Fögi is in bed wasted, and invited Beni to join him. Though Beni seems to have had no previous sexual experience of any sort, he takes off his clothes and gets in bed with his idol.

Fögi ruthlessly uses his devotee, first as a sexual outlet, later as a slave dog in dominance/submission scenarios when Beni refuses to leave after Fögi tells him their "fling" is lover. Refusing to work with an agent, the Minks fizzle and Fögi goes back to dealing drugs (hashish) and injecting heroin. Fögi turns Beni onto acid, but does not offer him heroin (though Beni clearly would take it to share more with his beloved).

Beni's hustling (and some modeling) bring in enough money to support them both, and Fögi does not even have to deal drugs any more. Fögi had a horror of growing old and refuses to do so.

The movie (made for European tv) shows (not for the first time) how self-destructive love can be. Fögi is not a complete rotter and despite degrading Beni (with Beni's eager assent at every downward step) does protect him.

There is full frontal nudity of both leads, drug use, and heavy abnegation. The violence is mostly psychic (except for smashing up things rather than people). There are other characters, but either Beni or Fögi or both are in heavy scene (and every shot except some of a dog seen through Beni's drug-addled eyes).

Vincent Branchet (Beni) and Frédéric Andrau (Fögi) are both convincing in the downward spiral of drugs and highly dysfunctional love. Andrau has the necessary charisma and some sense of irony in observing himself and his emotional slave. Branchet is also convincing as an adult molester (insofar as Fögi is an adult), utterly devoted and willing to do whatever it takes to be with the man he continues to adore (but cannot save).

The final voice-over, above Patti Smith's "Wings" is very powerful.

Although there is much that made be wince watching the movie, it is not as much of a downer as it sounds in my summary. The television movie won the Swiss Film Prize as best film of 1998, though its writer/director Marcel Gisler has not made any subsequent films.

(There are no DVD bonus features.)

© 2008, Stephen O. Murray

I don't know if a Swiss film in French qualifies for Barbara's French find writeoff. The last part is set on the French Riviera. I was surprised that the rest was taking place in Zurich, which is not the French-speaking part of Switzerland.


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age