Directed by Gaël Lépingle, and starring Léo Pochat and Yves Batek Mendy, Smalltown Boys (aka Des garçons de province) is a French LGBTQ+ movie. Divided into three stories, the film looks at the lives of young guys within the queer community, with each story offering up something different.
The first of this trio of tales follows the story of a young barman who becomes besotted with a performer in a drag troupe. Meanwhile, the next tale focuses on a young man who wears high heels around his local town.
The third story – which is the longest of the three – centres around a guy who poses for photographs for an amateur artist. There is an age difference between the two, and the story looks at their brief encounter.
Of the three stories presented in Smalltown Boys, all have something of value, but not all of them work quite as well as each other. The first two tales offer little snapshots into a Queer world, with subtle moments LGBTQ+ audiences will find familiar, but these stories themselves feel a little undercooked.
Thankfully, the third tale has more room to breathe and it is easily the strongest story of the bunch. Sure, this segment of the film could also benefit from a bit more time, but what’s on offer here is much better developed.
This instalment has a darker edge to it and is quite interesting. Again I would have liked a little more depth and a wider story expansion, but of the three tales, this is the one which lands the best.
Irrespective of how well the individual vignettes work, the film offers up solid direction, a strong cast, and some good observations. There is a certain authenticity to the work which really shines through, and this gives the movie a sturdy backdrop.
Should you wish to check it out, Smalltown Boys is available to buy on digital in the UK from Monday 31st July. Platforms include Prime Video, Vimeo on Demand, and PeccadilloPOD.
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