Nuit #1

A one-night stand involves more than sex in this French-Canadian character study. Director Anne Émond superimposes the opening credits over a rave where sweaty bodies appear to float through the air before she settles in on Clara (Catherine de Léan) and Nikolai (Dimitri Storoge). Soon, they're back at his place, tearing off each others' clothes, only then introducing themselves before returning to their ministrations. Afterwards, while Nikolai sleeps, Clara attempts to leave, but he convinces her to return, only to lament, “Modern women make me sick. They think they're men.” Clara tells Nikolai that she expected to spend more quality time with him, and tries to leave again, but ends up back at his apartment, where Nikolai opens up about his life as an aimless art school dropout of Ukrainian descent. He's a bad bet, but there's something beyond physical attraction here, which becomes clear when Clara reveals a similar set of failings. It's hard to tell if they're suffering from depression, ennui, or some sort of generational disorder, but their unhappiness unites them as surely as their sexual compatibility. Opening an independent film with a sexually-explicit scene isn't new, but Émond proves that she isn't just looking to shock or titillate, but rather to explore the developments that brought these two lost souls together. Still, given the graphic sex, this is only recommended for more adventurous collections. (K. Fennessy)