Wasp (2015) Reviews

• Good Effort

  B242015-11-21

  This rather sluggish film more than makes up for its pretentious script by capturing the Luberon in all its summery glory. Every frame offers something pleasing to the eye, like a Bourdain travel piece without political commentary. Its sound is also technically sharp and appropriate, as in in one scene where characters play with watercolors as part of the plot. Yes...the plot. More neurotic than erotic, if truth be told. It takes more than two-thirds of the film to get to the point, which is less cathartic than anticlimactic. It reminded me of a dozen or so short stories I have read over the years in which one or another love triangle drags along to its inevitable end, which can be either highly dramatic or cleverly understated. Boring. These independent films always take too long, whether in single camera shots that linger on pointlessly or in spoken lines that the viewer can almost speak simultaneously as the character's lips move. Pretty forgettable stuff, except for the landscape.

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• A nice effort

  Gordon-112015-04-18

  This film tells the story of a gay couple who goes to Southern France for a holiday. They invite a female friend who just broke up with his boyfriend, thinking it would be a nice thing to do. However, things turn sour because of unexpected sexual undercurrents between them. The low budget really shows in the film, despite the beautiful setting. There are only three stars, which is a challenge to make their interactions interesting and captivating. Unfortunately, I see little chemistry between them, and I am not seeing why there is attraction between the characters which causes the undercurrents. As independent gay cinema goes, "Wasp" is a nice effort. With a bit more budget, the film would be even better.

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• If you irritate a wasp, it will sting you

  rahmmie2017-05-08

  I couldn't help but feel sorry for James during this movie, mostly because he was so unaware of what was going on right under his nose. Olivier is a gay man who didn't come out until later in life, so he had sexual experience with women. Once Caroline (their unexpected guest for their holiday after James finds his old schoolmate shortly after being dumped by her boyfriend) finds this out, she starts putting the moves on Olivier and despite his resistance, it is obvious that the seed of temptation has taken hold and is growing. The turning point during the movie is the scene when Caroline acts like a spoiled child and after being turned down by Olivier, leaves the summer house. James thinks Olivier offender her but does not know how and Olivier has an exaggerated reaction and goes in search of her to bring her back. Many people think the end of this scene was ambivalent, when Olivier finally parks and he looks at Caroline. However, in my eyes, the fact that they cheated on James is a given. James comments on how long it took for them to return (if they had only driven back, it would have been a matter of 10 minutes tops). The change in the relationship between Caroline and Olivier is also blatant and they act more like best friends after that incident. James also catches them having private conversations, once when they had just returned and later on when they were both in their bedroom with the door closed. Even after James comes out and confronts them, neither Olivier nor Caroline have the solid character or the necessary honesty to tell the truth and instead tell James that nothing happened (while at the same time we see Olivier and Caroline doing things like playing footsie under the table and asking James several times if he is tired after having so many drinks and whether he should go to bed). In my mind, there is no question that they cheated but I don't know if the outcome would have been different if James had not confronted them. Would Olivier and James's relationship have gone back to the way things were before Caroline? Would Olivier have told the truth at a later date when the source of his downfall was hopefully far away and he might have had a chance to repair his relationship with James? Would James ever forgive Olivier after they had a chance to talk about what happened more calmly? Relationships and people can be like wasps. If left alone they mostly work on autopilot but when something or someone starts pulling the lose threads, eventually the wasp stings, and this is what happened to James. Caroline at least had the decency to admit that she tried to seduce Olivier but Olivier acted like he was being insulted and the idea of having sex with Caroline had never crossed his mind (obviously a lie since he was playing footsie with her right in front of James). In the end, we see three lives ruined by the lack of ethics and respect for a friendship that Caroline has and the lack of self-control and honesty that Olivier has. Of all the reactions, I identified with James because I probably would have done the same (although I would have been way more sneaky so I could catch them red handed

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• Life will sting you

  cekadah2016-01-10

  A beautiful and vast southern French setting, three beautiful young people, and a most comfortable french country house. Something bad is sure to happen. Suspicion and deceit eventually comes to the surface. If you just leave a Wasp alone it won't sting you! But here in WASP James, Caroline, and Oliver are so driven to test and challenge each others mind eventually someone or all will feel the sting of this game and emotional pain is the only reward. Director: Philippe Audi-Dor has created a beautiful film with only three actors, minimal dialog, and a stunning setting in the lazy warm summer days. What starts as a pleasure holiday becomes a test of temperament and self doubt. The interaction between these three is tense and spellbinding. The final scene holds such a powerful message. We see a room in the cottage, and through a very small window we see the three packing, leaving, not speaking and angry. In the grand vista of life they are each stuck in their own little world.

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• Ménage a trois for all the wrong reasons

  t-dooley-69-3869162015-11-21

  James and Olivier are going to stay in Olivier's south of France country home for a romantic holiday. Caroline is a friend of James's and has just been dumped by her boyfriend and James being a thoroughly nice bloke – invites her along only quelle horreur she accepts! Once they start to kill time enjoying themselves it soon becomes obvious that Caroline is having an effect on the pairs relationship and as the French summer slowly and languorously ebbs past so too the shifting emotions of the three start to change. Now this is an independent film and the only characters are the three aforementioned ones. However, it does not suffer for it. It is well acted and filmed with only a few moments where I felt the scene added not very much or indeed went on a bit too long. That said the overall effect is of a confident and well made indie effort that actually does credit for all involved.

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