Cinecity: The Stranger By The Lake

Alain Guiraudie’s tale of the dangers of gay cruising has a Hitchcockian flavour. It begins with the slow pace of days by the water, in this case a rather unwelcoming rocky lakeside. Days pass mainly in silence, broken by occasional chats, casual couplings, unprotected sex, and callous yet commonplace rejection. Then out of the blue the viewer is complicit in serious crime. As the implications develop, so does the sexual tension, claustrophobia and doubts. Nudity, explicit sex and loneliness are exposed along with the protagonist’s acknowledged stupidity and vulnerability. Just don’t let anyone tell you how this psychological thriller ends!

Komedia, 29 November 2013
Rating:
Andrew Connal