Desire

Written and directed by Laurent Bouhnik, this steamy French film follows the amorous adventures of a group of young people as they explore the passionate sides of their personalities and try to figure out how those passions define who they are and what they want to be. The film is also a scathing statement on how the crashing French economy is affecting the desires of people, and how women in particular are using their (and their mate’s) desires to help alleviate the economic tensions, but such lofty thoughts are best left for a second or third viewing, particularly if you are not well versed in French politics. The film stars Déborah Révy as Cécile, a sensuous young woman who uses her desire to manipulate the people in her life, or at least that’s how it appears on the surface. As her story unfolds, it’s clear that Cécile, like everybody else in the film, has a darker side that feeds on her desires in strange and dangerous ways. It is watching that battle between the natural desires and the unnatural ways they can be used against each other, that makes Desire so mesmerizing.