Presque rien (Come Undone) (2000)

77% of critics liked it
(31 reviews)
67% of users liked it
(2,526 ratings)

The third collaboration between screenwriter Stephane Bouquet and writer/director Sebastien Lifshitz, Presque Rien is the story of a young French man coming to terms with his mother's depression, and his own homosexuality, during a summer holiday in France. Delicately handsome Mathieu (Jeremie… More The third collaboration between screenwriter Stephane Bouquet and writer/director Sebastien Lifshitz, Presque Rien is the story of a young French man coming to terms with his mother's depression, and his own homosexuality, during a summer holiday in France. Delicately handsome Mathieu (Jeremie Elkaim) has come to a seaside resort town with his sisters Annick (Marie Matheron) and Sarah (Laetitia Legrix) and his mother (Dominique Reymond), who has suffered from a crippling depression ever since her newborn baby died of cancer. One day while sunning himself on the beach with Sarah, Mathieu notices the attentions of Cedric (Stephane Rideau), a sturdy, handsome, slightly older youth. The two quickly develop an illicit romance, spending their days combing the beach and their evenings slipping off for passionate sex. Cedric, it turns out, has dropped out of school and, after a brief stint as a rent boy and a failed relationship with a boy named Pierre (Nils Ohlund), moved over one town and settled into a comfortable routine of blue-collar work. The sturdy, good-natured Cedric charms Mathieu's family, but the true nature of the youths' relationship soon becomes apparent, leading to conflict, especially with oldest sibling Annick. Mathieu's biggest problem, however, is his sense of powerlessness over his mother's illness and the death in the family. The scenes of his romance with Cedric are interspersed with scenes from two later time periods. In one setting, we witness Mathieu's recovery from a suicide attempt and subsequent refusal to accept Cedric's visits; in another, we see Mathieu return, alone, to the site of his sexual coming of age. Presque Rien received its American release under the title Come Undone; after premiering at the 2001 L.A. Outfest, a gay and lesbian film series, it received a limited art-house release. Rejane Kerdaffrec, who previously appeared in the Lifschitz/Bouquet film Les Corps Ouverts, appears in a small role as Mathieu's psychiatrist. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 37 min.
Directed By: Sébastien Lifshitz
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Feb 8, 2000 Wide
On DVD: Jan 8, 2002
Studio: Picture This! Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Loren King, Boston Globe
Come Undone is the coming-of-age romance French-style, with emotions nuanced, effects subtle. But it's also achingly slow, at times bleak and, in the end, frustratingly and regrettably, rather pointless.
Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Tribune
While Come Undone has some explicit material, what makes it a mature and special work is its embrace of the knotty and unfamiliar.
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
Deals with sex in terms of feelings, deep feelings, and with no need to reach for a cheap punch line in order to make everything 'acceptable' for audiences.
Charles Ealy, Dallas Morning News
Those who like to explore movies will find plenty to admire.
Desmond Ryan, Philadelphia Inquirer
A delicately managed piece that is by turns intimately detailed and elliptical.
Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle
Sticks to a standard of emotional honesty in following Mathieu's journey, and casting a shrewd eye as he stumbles toward self-awareness.
Brandon Judell, Gay.com UK
The sex scenes are bluntly beautiful, the boys are natural, superb actors, and you'll find yourself more than ready to embrace "Come Undone" as one of the great tales of amour.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
It is heartfelt, and is full of intense feelings and insights into love.
Edward Johnson-Ott, NUVO Newsweekly
Hopefully, even those who fail to accept the director's stylistic experiments will still appreciate the beautifully acted, disarming picture of youth and love.
Kevin John Bozelka, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
If you found films like But I'm a Cheerleader or Edge of Seventeen profoundly unimaginative, Sebastien Lifshitz, making his directorial debut, has something to show you.
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul), St. Paul Pioneer Press
If you leave the theater for even a minute, you'll be lost, given the way Come Undone jumps around.
Michael Thomson, BBC
A highly credible, if rather unexceptional, look at the many insecurities and occasional joys of young love.
Frank Swietek, One Guy's Opinion
A grey, sullen treatment of an increasingly hackneyed subject, marked by opaque characterizations and a fractured, disjointed narrative style.

Read all 13 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Carlos M

The actors seem very natural together, depicting the intensity and wonder of the first love, but the movie has a big problem in its fragmented narrative, which jumps randomly in time from one moment to another, making the story less fluid and not too easy to relate to.
Robert C

I can appreciate the story that it trys to tell - a young man trying to come to terms with his sexuality (and all that it entails). The cast was exceptional. And the potential is there for a very moving and powerful film. However, with the exception of one fairly graphic sex scene… More
I can appreciate the story that it trys to tell - a young man trying to come to terms with his sexuality (and all that it entails). The cast was exceptional. And the potential is there for a very moving and powerful film. However, with the exception of one fairly graphic sex scene (which was more gratuitous then story strengthening)...I feel that the film is (ultimately) too subtle for it's own good.
Walter M

[font=Century Gothic]"Come Undone" starts out with Mathieu(Jeremie Elkaim) leaving a city on a train...[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]...then it flashes back to a summer vacation at the beach where 18-year old Mathieu is staying with his sister,… More
[font=Century Gothic]"Come Undone" starts out with Mathieu(Jeremie Elkaim) leaving a city on a train...[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]...then it flashes back to a summer vacation at the beach where 18-year old Mathieu is staying with his sister, Sarah(Laeitia Legrix), and their invalid mother(Dominique Raymond) who is being cared for by Annick(Marie Matheron). One day at the beach, Mathieu meets Cedric(Stephane Rideau), a good looking local man about the same age. Mutual attraction between the two men quickly blossoms into love...[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]...in between the two time frames, Mathieu has just been admitted to a hospital for undisclosed reasons.[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]"Come Undone" has an interesting structure but it is only used to disguise the lackadaisical pacing of the main story line. Still, the film is a worthwhile tale of a young man coming of age and experiencing his first love.[/font]