François Ozon directs Benjamin Voisin, Rebecca Marder and Pierre Lottin in this adaptation of Camus’ existential classic where in 1930s Algeria, the daily life of an indifferent Frenchman is shaken by the death of his mother and a fateful encounter on a beach.

I have read The Stranger a couple of times and this is a very straight adaptation. And I say that recognising the queer coding in a few interactions plus the attempts to at least acknowledge that the Arab killed is a human being with a name and a life. Let’s not dust down the parade floats just yet. This is still very much focussed on Meursault’s ennui and nihilism. It isn’t like the murder victim is given any sort of depth or external life. Just a name on a tombstone. That aside, the first half is lush and horny. Ozon casts this with a lot of the beautiful young talent he has brought up over the last ten years. Marder and especially Lottin are incandescent. The second half is a bit more of a slog. We don’t gain any deeper insight into Meursault’s rejection of life and the justice system scenes become repetitive. Where did all those gorgeous monochrome sex scenes go?

7

Perfect Double Bill: Summer Of 85 (2020)