pc95 I see there's quite a few comparisons here with "Stand By Me", and the 2 movies are comparable, but only to the extent that the main characters are young teenage boys. From there, the movies diverge quite a bit. This French movie is darker and enveloped by contemporary issues - especially neglect and drugs. "Les Geants" is beautifully photographed - its settings are pristine and its young stars are full of life and vitality. As is the case with many movies, pacing sometimes slows, and we're caught occasionally waiting for something to move the plot along. The ending is open-ended, and though not as good as Stand-by-Me, it is a worthy effort. 6.5/10

soncoman I have been pleasantly surprised by a number of outstanding performances by young actors and actresses on screen this year. Probably my favorite film with juvenile leads is "The Giants" ("Les Geants,") an international co-production of Belgium, France, and Luxembourg. It tells the tales of two brothers (ages 13 and 15) who are basically abandoned by their mother for a summer. Running out of money (and options,) they meet another youngster who gets them involved with a local drug dealer. The boys quickly find themselves over their heads. Don't let the darkness of this premise steer you away from this film. As dark as it may sound, and as unbelievable as the premise may be, I bought into this film entirely and found myself smiling an awful lot. These scrappy kids will do what they must to survive - but - they ARE kids and act accordingly. Their naivety and false bravado ring true. Kudos to the young cast for being uniformly excellent in their roles. You find yourself caring about these kids, recognizing their actions as NOT uncommon in today's youth, laughing at the choices they make (while remembering your own bad choices from years gone by...) and hoping that things work out for them. The film ends with the boys on a rowboat floating down a river and away from their current troubles. I liked the characters in this film so much my thoughts immediately jumped to "SEQUEL!" I'd follow these characters on to their next adventure. It's almost a "Huckleberry Finn" for the new millennium. www.worstshowontheweb.com ( Note - This review, originally posted on May 2, 2012, was deleted by IMDb based on an abuse report filed by another user. Would someone care to identify the "abuse" for me? )

[email protected] The sleeve of my copy quotes Screen Daily as saying this film is "a joyous heartwarmer". I don't agree. Nor do I think it was intended to be. To me this film is a gentle affirmation of the quality and beauty of brotherhood in the face of adversity.Yes, these three youths do some stupid things, and you might find yourself wondering why they are doing these things, what they're rebelling against, but it becomes clear in good time.Zak (Zachary Chasseriaud) and Seth (Martin Nissen) are brothers, aged thirteen and fifteen respectively. They've been left at their dead grandfather's house, under their own cognizance, for the summer, and as the boredom and ennui gets to them, they get into adventures and misadventures, joined by fifteen year old Dany (Paul Bartel), a friend they make on the way.Martin Nissen is perfect as the hopelessly out of his depth elder brother, and Zachary Chasseriaud is natural as the try anything boundary pushing thirteen year old. Paul Bartel portrays very well the abused but resourceful teen. This film is the story of the three boys' journey through adolescence, and of the guiding lights and grotesques they meet along the way.Zachary Chasseriaud is the image of Ricky Schroder at the same age, and just as talented. All three boys have a bright future if they stay in the business. I look forward to watching more of their films, and hope also to see more by the director, Bouli Lanners.

insomnia Bouli Lanners, a name unknown to me, directed this rather intriguing film. The story tells of a friendship among three teenagers, two of who are brothers. The other teenage has an older brother who sells and uses drugs and regularly beats up his younger brother for hanging around with the other kids. All three kids live in the house belonging to the two brother's deceased grandfather. They are bored out of their minds, whiling away the hours, smoking joints, going for joyrides in the grand father's car and when they're hungry, stealing food from the neighbour's cellar. Eventually, what little money they have, finally runs out. Later, when the older boy introduces them to a man who offers them money if they'll let him rent the house in order to grow marijuana, they reluctantly accept. In a way, "Les Geants" explores the same territory as "Lord of The Flies" – William Goldman's classic tale of children left to fend for themselves. While the children in "Lord of The Flies" eventually turn feral, the children in "Les Geants" manage to cling onto some form of normality, by rejecting their upbringing and finally, choosing adventure above familial security. Bouli Lanners gets terrific performances out of the cast, especially out of the three main characters. The film is beautifully shot – long close-ups of grasses waving in the breeze, the sun glinting off winding rivers and glorious sunsets. The pace is unhurried and no shot is wasted. This is not a great film by any means, but it's a lot better than the dross that passes for film making these days.