Review by Robert O'Neill
By: Robert O'Neill
In-House Review - Feb 17 2012
Like The Honeymoon Killers, Badlands and Natural Born Killers, American Translation follows a psychotic straight couple on a road trip killing spree - only this one features a lot more homoeroticism.
Pierre Perrier (Cold Showers, One to ...
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Like The Honeymoon Killers, Badlands and Natural Born Killers, American Translation follows a psychotic straight couple on a road trip killing spree - only this one features a lot more homoeroticism.
Pierre Perrier (Cold Showers, One to Another) delivers a deeply unhinged performance as Chris, a tall, dark and handsome young vagabond who is a master at using his sex appeal to get what he wants. Chris, a dominant bisexual with strange ideas about relationships, soon becomes interested in Aurore (Lizzie Brocheré), a seemingly normal trust fund brat who hides a secret desire to be controlled. The two begin a passionate (and very graphic) affair. Before long, they decide to hit the road and elope. Their sexually-charged honeymoon would seem to go splendidly, were it not for one problem: Chris has a habit of seducing young gay guys, driving them out into the woods and strangling them during sex. Actually, it's more than a habit - it's a passion. A supportive submissive, content with the attention she gets from her betrothed, Aurore quietly enables Chris's insanity ? she even helps him dispose of the bodies.
Despite the disturbing premise, the movie is far sexier than it is shocking or violent. Co-directors Pascal Arnold (One to Another) and Lars von Trier-regular Jean-Marc Barr (who also appears in the film, briefly, as Aurore's persnickety American father) are far more concerned with the psychology and subtle behavior of their characters than in giving detail to the sinister on-goings of the plot. We see the initiation and aftermath of Chris's heinous actions, but not the acts themselves. Titillating foreplay, however, has a major part in the proceedings. Pierre Perrier appears underwear-clad or full-frontal in numerous scenes ? stripping down in a laundromat to catch the eye of a hot young guy, performing a sensual striptease for his girlfriend. The smolderingly handsome actor shows off his gorgeous body and gives the audience a clear indication of why one might fall directly into his character's trap.
While still not for all tastes, American Translation features captivating performances, careful direction and some seriously hot scenes that are worth breaking a sweat over ? it's just too bad that most of them end in murder!
Review by Rich
By: Rich
This film is reprehensible in every possible way but cannot be stopped. Pierre is gorgeous and entrancing and a superb actor. His character is full of deep love, and plagued with a horrible curse. If you're ready for a thrill ride or you've ever fal...
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This film is reprehensible in every possible way but cannot be stopped. Pierre is gorgeous and entrancing and a superb actor. His character is full of deep love, and plagued with a horrible curse. If you're ready for a thrill ride or you've ever fallen madly for someone when your every instinct screamed RUN but you coudn't, watch. I dare you.
Review by barry
By: barry
Its only a movie, not! Yes you have the right. But if you go there , what else do you do! Were is the joy in stories about killing gays. When even today we have hate against us. Even the girl in this movie is not put off with it, yet she let her ma...
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Its only a movie, not! Yes you have the right. But if you go there , what else do you do! Were is the joy in stories about killing gays. When even today we have hate against us. Even the girl in this movie is not put off with it, yet she let her male lover have sex with a man. Is the kiling of gays her way of revenge . Guest the writer is gay and hate himself as such. Than I say kill your self. Problem taken care of. Tla this is not freedom but hate ban the hate .
Review by Amos Lassen
By: Amos Lassen
We have seen it before and we have seen it done better but we are still going to see it. Sex sells and so does nudity as do French films.
Lizzie Brochere is Aurora who meets and hooks up with Chris (Pierre Perrier) and the two have a very sexual...
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We have seen it before and we have seen it done better but we are still going to see it. Sex sells and so does nudity as do French films.
Lizzie Brochere is Aurora who meets and hooks up with Chris (Pierre Perrier) and the two have a very sexual relationship. Then Aurora learns some things about Chris and he has to struggle to deal with them. That struggle does mean abstaining from sex. Chris is just not a very likeable person but there is something very provocative about watching people have sex and when you add a thriller of a plot to that, the viewer becomes wrapped up in the film.
Chris is fleeing from a woman he had in the woods and as he does he meets French-American, Aurora in a hotel bar and he takes her out to the woods where they have sex... and more sex and more sex. They move into an apartment owned by her father. What makes things go bad is when Christophe murders a male prostitute who they hired for a ménage-a-trois (so very French). Aurora suspects that Chris may be a serial killer.
The acting is nothing special but the nudity is. There is even a scene where Chris, fully aroused, gives Aurora a naked lap dance. Chris comes across as intense and charismatic and his performance is completely unpredictable. We see his vulnerability that helps explain why Aurora fell for him.
The script seems to be taken from several different studies of serial killers (including their own testimonies) and there is an exploration of what makes them act the way they do. The film is bold in all of its aspects and it must be seen to understand what I say here.