Cold Showers
Encyclopedia
Cold Showers is a 2005
French
film directed by Antony Cordier. It was a Directors' Fortnight Selection at 2005 Cannes Film Festival
. The film tells the story of three teenagers, a girl, Vanessa, and two boys, Mickael and Clement, who face changes and problems over a period of three months as they enter adulthood. The film attracted attention on its release due to the full-frontal nudity of several young French actors.
family - his father Gérard (Jean-Philippe Ecoffey) is a taxi cab driver who lost his license and then his job as a result of a police roadblock targeting drivers under the influence. His mother Annie (Florence Thomassin) works as a cleaning woman in the high school
gym: After this they have a tough time financially. Not a great student, Mickael excels in judo
and his life is focused on his sport and on his girlfriend Vanessa (Salomé Stévenin). One of Mickael's teammates Clément (Pierre Perrier) is from a wealthy family: his father Louis Steiner (Aurelien Recoing) uses a wheelchair and his mother Mathilde (Claire Nebout) is a woman of the world and society. Louis decides to sponsor the judo team, buys them outfits, and asks Mickael to work with Clement to perfect his technique and prepare the judo team for a French championship.
Mickael and Clément relate well and while Mickael is a winning player, Clément is smarter and understands the intrinsic rules of the game better. An incident occurs that forces Mickael to take the position of a wounded team mate and in doing so he must lose eight kilos to qualify for the championship team. The struggle to lose weight (he is already in ideal physical condition) places stress on both Mickael and his family and teammates. Mickael and Vanessa include Clément in their camaraderie, a situation which evolves into a ménage à trois
as the three have group sex in the after hours gym. Controversially, the two male stars show their genitals. Vanessa reacts as though this is the greatest physical feeling ever, Clément is smitten, and Mickael has troubling doubts. When the three decide to try it again in a hotel room Mickael is so conflicted that he does not join the other two, only listening to their cavorting in the bathtub feeling inferior to the smarter, wealthier Clément. But on the judo side, the team plays the championship and Mickael's delicate sense of self worth
is restored for a moment. It is the manner in which the trio of teenagers resolve their antics that closes the film.
and Galt MacDermot
. The score is composed by Nicolas Lemercier. The main song of the film is called "Central Park".
Prix Louis Delluc
Taipei International Film Festival
Verona International Film Festival
Marseille Film Festival
French Press Golden Star
French Syndicate of Cinema Critics
Moulins Film Festival
La Ciotat Film Festival
2005 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2005...
French
Cinema of France
The Cinema of France comprises the art of film and creative movies made within the nation of France or by French filmmakers abroad.France is the birthplace of cinema and was responsible for many of its early significant contributions. Several important cinematic movements, including the Nouvelle...
film directed by Antony Cordier. It was a Directors' Fortnight Selection at 2005 Cannes Film Festival
2005 Cannes Film Festival
The 2005 Cannes Film Festival started on May 11 and ran until May 22. Twenty movies from 13 countries were selected to compete. The awards were announced on May 21...
. The film tells the story of three teenagers, a girl, Vanessa, and two boys, Mickael and Clement, who face changes and problems over a period of three months as they enter adulthood. The film attracted attention on its release due to the full-frontal nudity of several young French actors.
Plot
Mickael (Johan Libereau) is from a poor working classWorking class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
family - his father Gérard (Jean-Philippe Ecoffey) is a taxi cab driver who lost his license and then his job as a result of a police roadblock targeting drivers under the influence. His mother Annie (Florence Thomassin) works as a cleaning woman in the high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
gym: After this they have a tough time financially. Not a great student, Mickael excels in judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
and his life is focused on his sport and on his girlfriend Vanessa (Salomé Stévenin). One of Mickael's teammates Clément (Pierre Perrier) is from a wealthy family: his father Louis Steiner (Aurelien Recoing) uses a wheelchair and his mother Mathilde (Claire Nebout) is a woman of the world and society. Louis decides to sponsor the judo team, buys them outfits, and asks Mickael to work with Clement to perfect his technique and prepare the judo team for a French championship.
Mickael and Clément relate well and while Mickael is a winning player, Clément is smarter and understands the intrinsic rules of the game better. An incident occurs that forces Mickael to take the position of a wounded team mate and in doing so he must lose eight kilos to qualify for the championship team. The struggle to lose weight (he is already in ideal physical condition) places stress on both Mickael and his family and teammates. Mickael and Vanessa include Clément in their camaraderie, a situation which evolves into a ménage à trois
Ménage à trois
Ménage à trois is a French term which originally described a domestic arrangement in which three people having sexual relations occupy the same household – the phrase literally translates as "household of three"...
as the three have group sex in the after hours gym. Controversially, the two male stars show their genitals. Vanessa reacts as though this is the greatest physical feeling ever, Clément is smitten, and Mickael has troubling doubts. When the three decide to try it again in a hotel room Mickael is so conflicted that he does not join the other two, only listening to their cavorting in the bathtub feeling inferior to the smarter, wealthier Clément. But on the judo side, the team plays the championship and Mickael's delicate sense of self worth
Self Worth
"Self Worth" is the title of a 1999 single by hardcore punk band Better Than a Thousand. The first two tracks of this single are taken from the Value Driven album, the third was previously unreleased....
is restored for a moment. It is the manner in which the trio of teenagers resolve their antics that closes the film.
Cast
- Johan LibéreauJohan LibéreauJohan Libéreau is French actor. He was an apprentice pastry chef and server, before being spotted by an agent.- Filmography :* 2003: "Tais-toi!" as Adolescent 2* 2004: "Julie Lescaut" episode "Sans pardon" as Michel...
as Mickael - Salomé StéveninSalomé StéveninSalomé Stévenin was born on 29 January 1985 in Lons-le-Saunier, Jura, France. She began her acting career at the age of 3 when she appeared alongside her father in the film Peaux des Vaches in 1989...
as Vanessa - Pierre Perrier as Clément
- Florence Thomassin as Annie
- Jean-Philippe Ecoffey as Gérard
- Aurélien Recoing as Louis Steiner
- Claire NeboutClaire NeboutClaire Nebout is a French actress. She has appeared in 55 films and television shows since 1986. She co-starred in In the Country of Juliets, which was entered into the 1992 Cannes Film Festival.-Selected filmography:...
as Mathilde Steiner - Denis Falgoux as the coach
- Magali Woch as Mickael's sister
- Camille Japy as coach's wife
- Dominique CabreraDominique CabreraDominique Cabrera is a French film director. She has taught filmmaking at La Fémis and at Harvard University. Her film Nadia et les hippopotames was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival...
as the nurse in school - Sarah Pratt as the examiner
- Julie Boulanger as Valentine
Soundtrack
The soundtrack for this film contains songs by Julie DelpyJulie Delpy
Julie Delpy is a French-American actress, director, screenwriter, and singer-songwriter. She studied filmmaking at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and has directed, written, and acted in more than 30 films, including Europa Europa , The Voyager , Three Colors: White , Before Sunrise...
and Galt MacDermot
Galt MacDermot
Galt MacDermot is a Canadian composer, pianist and writer of musical theatre. He won a Grammy Award for the song African Waltz in 1960. His most successful musicals have been Hair and Two Gentlemen of Verona...
. The score is composed by Nicolas Lemercier. The main song of the film is called "Central Park".
Awards and nominations
César Awards- Nominated:
- Best First Film
Prix Louis Delluc
- Won
- Best First Film
Taipei International Film Festival
- Won:
- Grand Prize
Verona International Film Festival
- Won:
- Grand Prize
Marseille Film Festival
- Won:
- Critic Prize
French Press Golden Star
- Won:
- Best First Film
French Syndicate of Cinema Critics
French Syndicate of Cinema Critics Awards 2005
The 2005 French Syndicate of Cinema Critics Awards, given on February 14, 2005, honored the best in film for 2004.-Winners:*Best Film: Rois et reine*Best Short: Sous mon lit*Best Foreign Film: Lost in Translation...
- Won:
- Best Promising Actor - Johan LibéreauJohan LibéreauJohan Libéreau is French actor. He was an apprentice pastry chef and server, before being spotted by an agent.- Filmography :* 2003: "Tais-toi!" as Adolescent 2* 2004: "Julie Lescaut" episode "Sans pardon" as Michel...
- Best Promising Actor - Johan Libéreau
Moulins Film Festival
- Won:
- Best Actress - Florence Thomassin
La Ciotat Film Festival
- Won:
- Best Actress - Salomé StéveninSalomé StéveninSalomé Stévenin was born on 29 January 1985 in Lons-le-Saunier, Jura, France. She began her acting career at the age of 3 when she appeared alongside her father in the film Peaux des Vaches in 1989...
- Best Actress - Salomé Stévenin