Cold Showers

French director Antony Cordier’s feature debut about sex and love at a judo centre is far from romantic. Instead it deals – in a realistic and honest manner – with issues of class differences and poverty, themes not often discussed in films depicting modern life in Western Europe.Mickael lives in a humble home and, considering his neurotic mother and alcoholic father, he turns out pretty well. Being the best one of the judo team and a fine student, life is alright. He even has a pretty girlfriend who seems to care for him.One day though, a new kid enters the team and life is turned upside down. Not only is this kid rich, his father also becomes the sponsor of the team and suddenly Mickael has a new set of responsibilities. He’s to take care of rich boy Clément while going through a tough diet to enter a lower weight class, thus securing team victory for the upcoming competition.As if this wasn’t enough, the three teenagers become involved in a ménage- à-trois going completely wrong as the increasingly frustrated Mickael becomes jealous beyond control.JONATHAN ROZENKRANTZ