All Yours

By: Amos Lassen

Lucas (Nahuel Perez Biscayart) is a young male prostitute who has come from Buenos Aires to train as an apprentice in a bakery in a small town in Belgium. His boss, Henry (Jean-Michel Balthazar), is in love with him- the two met online. Henry bought Lucas the plane ticket so that he could come. He was hoping that the two would have sex and that Lucas would help out in the bakery. Lucas, however, has a crush on the saleswoman, Audrey (Monia Chokri) but she is not interested in him. Henry and Lucas do not get along well about the living arrangements while Lucas, all the while, is trying to get close to Audrey.

The film starts with a series of webcam shots by Lucas, who sells sex online. He exhibits himself and tempts his clients into showing their credit cards. Henry invites Lucas to come live with him and share his bed, bakery and life. What Henry does not realize is that his feelings are just that, "his" and they are completely one-sided. Those feelings are built on a few online meetings and from what Lucas has told him. When neither man has a web cam or a computer to hide behind, they have to face the reality of their situations which is nothing like described online. From the moment that Henry and Lucas meet, their relationship is problematic. Lucas is straight and has only been gay for pay. He is also interested in Audrey and this complicates things.


We get to know the characters by the way the film subtly traces them and their feelings. Each is somewhat solitary and this is interesting because with the new technology, communication is so easy. It seems that the movie sets us up for a sad drama when in reality there are elements of surreal humor here. I would say that in attempting to categorize the film that it is awkwardly tender and emotionally raw at the same time.

The three actors in the main roles are excellent. The story is about a supposedly love triangle although that never really develops and instead we get a series of misunderstandings almost all the way through the movie. We have a confusion of feelings with Lucas, pretending to be gay for his own financial game, Henry who is gay but has no chance of fulfilling his desire to be in love with another man. Lucas really wants to live prostitution behind and he thinks he will be able to do so in Belgium. He is, however, totally unsuitable for work in a bakery and the fact that Henry is looking to him for love makes his life all the more complicated. The fact that Henry does not have the good looks necessary to attract a young lover and is overweight makes his life harder to deal with. Audrey, on the other hand, is what Lucas is looking for-she is sweet and beautiful but she is not interested in him. All three characters are trapped-Audrey lives a solitary life with her child in a small room; Lucas has no idea where his life is going and Henry, while a tender person, is trapped in his profession and in his village.

The cinematography is gorgeous and there are some hot moments and a few good laughs making this a film that draws us in immediately. It also helps that the protagonists are endearing. The film was directed by David Lambert who previously brought us "Beyond the Walls".