A Summer Dress (1996)

The first must-see film of the year.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

Every other review here has been written by non-French. So I make the difference, which makes sense as well. This short film is not the expression of what is going on in France or in French sexuality. Only some very small Parisian bi-sexual circles will recognize themselves, and yet even they will not like the film. Why? Because it is bloody badly acted! You, other reviewers, who do not speak French, may be charmed, but to my ears, it all sounds massively false. I guarantee you: no-one talks like that, no-one acts like that. So what is the thing about this film, and how on earth did Ozon manage to raise the funds to make it? Surely, because in the French film world, no single person would like to be considered as being "frustrated", so they all have to pretend that the subject is worthwhile financing. Well, it wasn't...

Subtle, delicate ,touching.A young man in a summer dress on a bike like incarnation of perfect joy. History of a coming -out and anatomy of relationship.Soft ambiguous gestures, slices of desire and a day like space of innocent miracle expression.Two men, a girl, a afternoon on beach, some words and a gift. Religious traces and a pantheist vision. Cercle of light and expression, nooks of an ordinary day and hot evening.A erotic chaste film in which the gay identity or the first sexual relation are only instruments for good definition of a universe with sensitives values.Pledge for self- discover, universe of beauty exploration, the sign of Ozon and same nostalgic air of every creation, "Robe d'ete" is a splendid occasion to understand the moment like projection of dream, to look, with emotion and child soul the essence of the essence beyond the images or people.

Yet another film that tries to be edgy but only reinforces the whole "heterosexuality is more normal and desirable than being gay." I love the films that are "gay-themed" but seem to always have to include scenes of gay guys having sex with women. This seems to be a European thing, the whole "we are so much more liberated." Feh.The main character is not a particularly likable kid, his annoyance at the beginning with his friend's singing and dancing seems extremely out of proportion. Most guys would be very, very happy to have a man as gorgeous as Sebastien Charles dancing in front of them. But of course this is only so we can get him to go to the beach and have his little fling. The gay side of the film is stereotyped with shallowness and unhappiness. The straight fling results in a sappy score and Summer of '42 like musings. (And to those who find this film "romantic" ... what's so romantic about running off and having sex with somebody you've just met? Does their being straight make it that much more romantic?)This is not a great short. It's backwards and somewhere along the self-loathing of Tennessee Williams. Throw it on the trash heap.

i expected it to be good, after i'd seen some other ozon's superb moments, and read much about it... but this movie is brilliant - clever, very bright (emotionally and visionally), perfect in all moments. every movement is there for a reason, everything fits so closely and primordially true and honest. this is the movie about the beauty and innocence; about it's simplicity.