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Amos Lassen wrote on 02/09/2011:

“A LOVE TO HIDE”
Horrors of War
Amos Lassen
Only a couple of films have dealt with the treatment of gays during the holocaust. The one that stands out in my mind is the brilliant “Bent” which was not well received because of the depressing content. “A Love to Hide” is also brilliant and depressing but extremely uplifting as well.
Here is the story of gay men during the German occupation of France or as it has been popularly known as the Vichy regime. Jean and Phillipe are two gay lovers who have been hiding their homosexuality from the outside world. This forbidden love faces a new problem when a former girlfriend of Jean’s appears seeking asylum because she is Jewish and has already watched her family killed. At the same time, Jean’s brother who has been imprisoned for black marketeering is released from incarceration and a series of events forces the hidden lo0ve affair to be discovered. All the secrets that the lovers share become open and not just the lovers, but everyone is suddenly put at risk. Ax the movie moves toward its powerful climax. You will be on the edge of your seat. I think sometimes we forget about how inhuman man can be and what the results that follow this inhumanity are. “A Love to Hide” explicitly shows that inhumanity as well as the goodness of man.
This is an uncompromising love at the horrors of war and its aftermath and an enlightening view of a period in history that we know too little about.
The film stats A list French actors—Jeremie Renier, Louise Monot and Bruno Todeschini and is powerfully directed by Christian Faure. Faure also directed “Just a Question of Love” and recently won major awards with “A Love to Hide”. It recently won the Los Angeles 2006 Outfest Audience Award for best5 picture as well as both the Jury and Audience Awards at the Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival as well as best film awards at Washington, Chicago and Toronto gay film festivals.
This is one film you do not want to miss. The photography and the music are stunning, the acting is sublime and the script, as difficult as it is to watch at times, is first rate. The horrific scenes you see on the screen are indeed hard to watch but when it is all over you are left with a feeling of goodness. As Anne Frank once said, and I paraphrase, there is good in all men. Sometimes it is hard to find that but this movie shows you just how to look for it.

Toby Ross wrote on 02/05/2007:

Films I have ever seen, the level of sensitivity and good taste that the various homoerotic subjects are dealt with is a reason alone for giving this homoerotic tear jerker a 4-star rating. I screened the film for a group of close friends and the vote was two thumbs up and and a tear drenched paper towel by all 7 guys who saw it.

just a reviewer wrote on 12/12/2006:

........with their production and 1997 film release of American playwright, Martin Sherman's "Bent." ((1)). What we have with this French work, then, is a 'been there--done that' sort of situation, where Sherman's 'play--then movie' beats Faure and his screenwriter to the punch. Though to be perfectly honest about it, there are important differences between the two productions. Instead of watching "Bent's" 'mind-numbing' Concentration Camp repetitive work details, we are seeing the results of 'mind-grabbing' (in the literal sense) Concentration Camp experimental labs in "A Love to Hide". ((2)). While "Hide" provides an excellent history lesson for younger gays (well, anybody for that matter) and is a worthwhile effort overall, this reviewer finds it not at the same level of 'memorable-ness' as this director's earlier (2000) film work (see comments about that exciting production, below).((3)). As to "Hide's" performances, a sweet-faced Louise Monot (playing the dual roles of Sarah/Yvonne) both begins and ends this film, and she practically steals it. But.......if you're a gay films review reader and, more relevantly, if you're a gay films review writer, then commenting on actor, Jeremie Renier, becomes absolutely essential right about now. Renier---WOW, here's a guy who simply 'oozes' an aura of someone you want to, and have to be with (boyfriend, lover, partner) as soon as you see him. He has a loving spirit and lives this part, never stinting in letting us see who he loves---and he loves very expressively. Much the same can be said of his lover, effectively played by Swiss-born Bruno Todeschini. ((4)). And here's one very hard life lesson pointed out by this film, no matter whether your character name is Jean (Renier) or Max (Clive Owen)---If you're French (or German, as the case may be) and going to a local, gay dance club, don't take a spin around the floor, or otherwise consort with an officer of the military forces occupying your country. Something not so good may come your way. ((5)). (NOTE: If you don't speak/read French, the very poorly placed English subtitles are most distracting---frequently appearing over characters' mouths and faces and otherwise interfering with the action being watched. In many instances the flow of the story is badly affected by this situation.) ((6)). PS--Perhaps I'm not appreciative enough of this directorial work.......but I think I'll just stick to a warm, gay romance such as the truly great "Just a Question of Love." What's that? Oh, you're saying that it, too is a French love story, and that it was also brought to us by a little French guy named C. Faure. Interesting. ----- (In this regard, you might want to read my long-winded, 5-Star review of this little gem, located elsewhere in this site's DVD reviews; it's titled---"These 2 guys fall in love....and............").

marty wrote on 12/11/2006:

European gays during WWII. You know where the movie is going to take you. How it gets you there where the art of film making comes in. and artful this movie is. Beautifully filmed and acted. Not the kind of movie you want to see, but the kind of movie you need to see. Watching what happens when evil is allowed a free hand can be frightening and sickening - but it forces you to stay grounded and alert.