SYNOPSIS Tucked away on the shores of a secluded lake in rural southern France lies a naturist spot for gay men. As summer begins, so do the men come looking for anonymous sex in the woods behind the beach. While striking up a friendship with middle-age divorce Henri (Patrick d'Assumçao), directionless Franck (Pierre Deladonchamps) falls for the attractive, extremely potent Michel (Christophe Paou). But when he witnesses Michel drowning his ex-lover, Franck becomes torn between his desire for the murderer and turning him in.
THE LOWDOWN Stranger by the Lake is a provocative and highly original work that marks a new landmark in cinema. An erotic mix of the darkly comic and the tragic, deservedly winning Alain Guiraudie the Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival (Un Certain Regard) becoming one of the year’s most talked about successes. It's also one that breaks out of being labelled as merely gay cinema, containing universal themes about love and desire and the rocky paths we navigate take to achieve them. (*)
The Peccadillo Pictures Blu-ray and DVD release includes alternative ending (which I preferred), three deleted scenes, two short films by Alain Guiraudie from the 1990’s (Les héros sont immortels, Straight Ahead Until Morning), interviews with the director and the cast, a featurette on the poster, and a Cannes Film Festival special. Stranger by the Lake is also available to rent online (click here) and on BFI Player (click here).
• TO READ MORE ABOUT THIS FILM, CHECK OUT PETE'S FULL REVIEW (CLICK HERE)
(*) Please note that this movie is rated 18 and contains scenes of a sexually-explicit nature intended for mature audiences only.
