Synopsis
Daniel cruises the Gare du Nord where Eastern European Boys hang out. One afternoon he plucks up his courage to speak to Marek, one of the boys and invites him to his home. However, next day when the doorbell rings, Daniel hasn’t the faintest idea that he has fallen into a trap.
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Cast
- Olivier RabourdinDaniel Arthuis
- Kirill EmelyanovMarek / Rouslan Guerasiev
- Daniil VorobyovBoss (as Daniil Vorobyev)
- Edéa DarcqueChelsea
- Camila ChanirovaCamila
- Bislan YakhiaevBislan
- Mohamed DoukouzovMohamed
- Aitor BourgadeGuillaume
Recommendations
- 90
Village Voice
What a relief to watch this small, expert film — a pane of glass in a concrete wall — that whispers, that dares to stand still and witness ordinary human pain. - 88
Slant Magazine
A ferocious plea for character salvation within a milieu where money and bodily affect are the raison d'être for human existence. - 80
The Guardian
Robin Campillo’s drama is sweet and neat, as ambitious as it is gripping. - 80
The New York Times
Explores interlocking themes of sexuality, immigration and power dynamics with a cleareyed sensitivity and refuses to demonize even its shadiest characters. - 75
Miami Herald
Eastern Boys explores whether these lost boys are damaged beyond repair or are still capable of being saved. - 70
The Hollywood Reporter
Campillo thankfully refrains from offering on-the-nose explications for behavior and decisions, instead letting audiences infer psychology and motivation from on-screen behavior, with the entirely naturalistic performances of Raboudin and Emelyanov beautifully tuned in to each other and the material. - 70
Variety
Campillo’s original screenplay demands any number of trusting leaps from its audience and characters alike, yet maintains credibility thanks to the studied assurance of its most elaborate setpieces, and the wealth of socioeconomic detail in its portrayal of both Daniel’s aging-yuppie lifestyle and the nervous group dynamic of the immigrants. - 70
Los Angeles Times
Bold and unsettling, Eastern Boys is a long, strange trip of a film that touches on myriad social, economic and sexual themes.
