Drawing from Philippe Besson’s 2017 novel, Lie with Me is an engaging French film with the ideal blend of comedy, drama, and love.  It’s centred on Stéphane Belcourt (de Tonquédec), a globally recognised romance writer who has returned to his childhood hometown for the first time in 35 years.  He’s been selected as the keynote speaker at an annual Cognac festival – an obligation which add-on commitments such as book signings, media interviews, and formal dinners.

The trip brings back a flood of memories which are illustrated by director Olivier Peyon through use of flashbacks.  It was in his final year of high school that then 17-year-old Stéphane (Gillet) fell in love for the first time.  Stéphane was an openly gay teenager but the object of his affection, Lucas Andrieu (Belmondo), remained in the closet – partly because of his insecurity and partly because of his conservative parents.

Largely confined to the bedroom and other secluded locations, it was a love affair which lasted only a few months before the school year ended and Lucas moved to Spain to work on his family’s farm.  The pair never saw each other again.  While much has happened to Stéphane in the decades which followed, the memories of that first love remain vivid and, while he’ll coyly deny it in public, they’ve served as inspiration for many of his most successful books.

The catalyst for the current day drama arrives in the form of a young man, Thomas (de Saint-Jean), who is acting as festival tour guide for a group of wealthy Americans.  He is Lucas’s son and when Stéphane draws the connection, it creates as many questions as it does answers.  Where is Lucas today?  Does Thomas know about the teenage tryst his father had with Stéphane?  Is this all just a crazy coincidence?

The concept could easily come across as phoney and contrived, but the four-person screenwriting team make it work and the performances are superb.  There are so many great individual moments.  From a scene where Stéphane meets Lucas’s elderly mother… to a subplot involving a visit to a hidden lake, Lie with Me will, most likely, generate an emotional response from audiences.  To help break up the poignancy, Guilaine Londez adds a splash of comedy with her performance as a stressed festival organiser.

Bolstered by a great music score from experimental composer Thylacine, Lie with Me is a beautiful, interesting story.