Sea, No Sex and Sun (2012)
Directed by Christophe Turpin

Film Review

Christophe Turpin, screenwriter on Jean-Philippe (2006), JCVD (2008) and L'Amour dure trois ans (2011), makes his directing debut with Sea, No Sex and Sun, yet another holiday-themed comedy that struggles to get beyond the barrel load of clichés which are served up every year by at least one French filmmaker.  It is surprising, given that Turpin's field of expertise is screenwriting, that the film's weakest element is its script, which is beset with both a painfully uneven narrative (which robs the film of coherence) and dialogue that is laughably unconvincing virtually all the way through.  To be fair, there are a few inspired touches in both the writing and direction, but these are pretty well smothered by the banalities that dominate the proceedings right from the off.  That the film has any charm at all is almost entirely down to the presence of its three male leads, Arthur Mazet, Fred Testot and Antoine Duléry, who, representing three ages of a man, engage our sympathies and persuade us to stick with Turpin's turgid first feature right through to the end.  If nothing else, the film is a good advertisement for the Brittany seaside resort of Carnac.

Film Synopsis

As ever, Carnac, a small seaside resort in Brittany, is a magnet for holidaymakers hoping to unwind and enjoy the sun during the long summer months.  Twenty-year-old Alex works here as a tennis coach in the summer, and he makes the most of his freedom on his days off.   Guillaume, in his mid-thirties, is encumbered with a wife and daughter.  By returning to Carnac, he has hopes of rekindling memories of his happy youth.   And then there is Pierre, a spry quinquagenarian who is staying with his grown-up children after his recent divorce.  Alex, Guillaume and Pierre come from three different generations and have very different outlooks on life, but they have one thing in common: desires that can never be satisfied, no matter how hard they wish it...