FirstLoveMovies

Behind the Blue (L'Enfant d'Eau) (Quebec - 1995)
Starring: David LaHaye, Marie-France Monette, Gilbert Sicotte
Director: Robert Ménard
Plot: Stranded on a Caribbean island after a plane crash, a feisty 12-year-old girl and a mentally handicapped adult grow closer while they await a possible rescue.
Review: L'Enfant d'Eau, a mature coming-of-age story mixed in with parts Robinson Crusoe, proves an interesting addition to Quebec cinema. Little is made of the two mis-matched survivors being cast-aways, even limiting the details of their necessities for survival. Instead, the film makes us feel as though they were stranded on a beautifully scenic, deserted beach resort, something which allows the film to focus on the dynamics between them. The very heart of the film is this interesting relationship between the head-strong young girl and the helpless man, switching the typical child / adult relationship from mother / child to "lovers", though the word might conjure up the wrong connotation here. Director Ménard often goes for the sentimentality evident in the subject but still manages to bring about a heart-warming, if finally tragic, tale with good results. If there's one disappointment it's the jumps in sensibilities of their relationship, including some of the more important turning points, which seem to occur without the necessary build-up. Since they are being recreated from journal entries, this is acceptable (and maybe even necessary for the story to maintain momentum), but it still feels abrupt. This is particularly evident regarding the young girl's sexual awakening and her decision to do something about it with someone who doesn't have the capacity to reciprocate emotionally. These scenes, which brings up some rather provocative material, is done with surprising honesty that only makes the film all the more touching. Both leads are convincing in their roles, with LaHaye winning a Genie for his performance as the simpleton, both managing some rather difficult scenes well. In the end, the film does shy away from some of the more risqué sexual implications, and the story comes off as rather simplistic, but with solid acting from its two leads and an interesting twist on the genre, L'Enfant d'Eau is a fine drama.

Do you have this movie HELL you mentioned you did. It is one of my ten wanted movies.