Permanent Green Light

American filmmakers Dennis Cooper and Zac Farley co-directed this French feature about a teenager who becomes obsessed with the notion of blowing himself up with explosives in public. Roman (Benjamin Sulpice) lives in an unnamed suburb, and his bizarre obsession is not based on creating terrorist mayhem or putting an early end to an unhappy life. Instead, he is enchanted with the concept of creating a spectacular event that ends with his complete disappearance. Roman watches videos of explosions to gain ideas on how to achieve his goal, and he enlists the help of a teen girl named León (Rose Mousselet) who collects suicide vests. León is also suicidal, a fact that upsets Roman but does not dissuade him from moving ahead with his goal. Roman’s friends learn about his plans, but somehow wind up becoming support to his unlikely farewell to the world. Permanent Green Light tells a very creepy but thought-provoking story that offers troubling considerations on the meaning of life and the human relation with death. Sulpice’s central performance is wonderfully enigmatic, and his character serves as a magnet that attracts other emotionally damaged teenagers who carry burdens of varying pain. A disturbing drama that is both boldly original and intellectually devastating, this is highly recommended. (P. Hall)