Summer of 85

"Summer of 85" balances intriguingly but a little too murkily on a fulcrum of unreliable narration, and it becomes impossible to tell whether Ozon means us to take the story at face value or undercutting Alex's own melodramatic pronouncements.

Despite some distracting contrivances, "Summer of 85" transports viewers to a place, time and feeling that feel altogether real, and not nearly as far away as they initially might seem.

It's all predicated on the strength of [Félix Lefebvre and Benjamin Voisin's] performances, and they're really good.

It's recommendable, but I don't think it quite adds up to a full meal.

You really do start to wonder where it's all going -- a fine trick of the storytelling on display since, long before the end, you realize: you already know.

In the end, Summer Of 85 is about the idea of romance more than it is an actual romance, and on that level it succeeds almost too well, leaving one wishing for something more substantial.

In Summer of 85 (Été 85), François Ozon puts his own spin on Aidan Chambers’ coming-of-age novel Dance On My Grave, crafting a complex, meaningful story about love, loss and growth.

Summer of 85 is a well-designed coming-of-age work that makes for a sentimental and sensual drama, even if it fails to meet its potential.

French director François Ozon has been delivering nothing but gems for decades now...

For all its emphasis on teenage love, Summer of 85 never shows many signs it has a beating heart.