Jump to the good stuff: The Story | Some Thoughts | The Final Verdict
The Story:
Hidden Kisses is a French made for TV movie about a gay high school student who is outed when a picture of him kissing another boy is shared on social media.
Nathan (Bérenger Anceaux) is a high school student living with his single father, Stéphane (Patrick Timsit). Being that Nathan is the new kid in school, he hasn’t yet made any friends. Despite this, he gets invited to a party, where he meets up with fellow student, Louis (Jules Houplain). Louis asks Nathan to follow him to a secluded area of the party, and then they kiss.
The next day a picture of their kiss is posted on social media. Although it’s obvious it’s two boys, only Nathan is visible. When Stéphane is at work, a co-worker sees the photo of Nathan kissing the boy on her daughter’s tablet. She shows the photo to Stéphane, who is confused and disappointed.
While Stéphane grapples with the discovery that his son is gay, Nathan must deal with the gossip and hostility caused by the photo.
Some Thoughts:
Despite being made for TV, Hidden Kisses doesn’t shy away from showing the violence LGBT people must face when confronted with homophobia. The pacing is good, and the story doesn’t get too preachy.
The acting overall is decent. Timsit does a good job giving depth to Stéphane, who is struggling with accepting that his son is gay. But it’s Houplain’s portrayal of a young man living in fear of losing his father’s approval that stands out.
I don’t consider Hidden Kisses a romance. What brings Nathan and Louis together is that they want to meet other gay people, not so much that they have feelings for each other. They’re also young and eager to explore their sexuality, which is the reason for the kiss. On top of that, there’s not much chemistry between Anceaux and Houplain, which makes them feel more like friends than lovers.
Another reason I don’t consider the movie a romance is because Nathan’s drive to see Louis is due to his need to understand why he won’t see him again.
Hidden Kisses is the type of movie that deserves a sequel. I would like to know what happens once they graduate. Did their friendship continue or grow into something more?
The Final Verdict:
Hidden Kisses is a well done film depicting the effects of homophobia and bullying. For a made for TV movie, it does a surprisingly good job showing a difficult subject.
