In Detail

What is fiction but a collection of memories, experiences, and ideas rehashed, shaped and embellished? Many writers will tell you that while their work is framed by their imagination, nuggets of reality creep into every story they write, including unspoken thoughts, past pain and lost loves.

Oliver Peyton’s exquisite adaptation of Philippe Besson’s autobiographical novel adds new layers as we follow the successful author Stéphane Belcourt on a the long-overdue trip back to his hometown. The stunning screenplay dovetails moments of exquisitely timed comedy with deep emotional undercurrents in a movie that takes you from laughter to tears at the click of its fingers.

Here the performances of Guillaume de Tonquédec, Victor Belmondo, Julien de Saint-Jean, Jérémy Gillet and the brilliant Guilaine Londez are simply sublime. Add Peyton’s character-focused direction and editing that perfectly weave the past with the present, and you have one of the year’s best films. ‘Lie with Me’ is a stunning exploration of love found, lost and regained through blood memory, prose and a need for shared healing and individual closure.

Our thanks to Peccadillo Pictures for this screening.

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