Savage Nights

Based on his partly autobiographical novel, the late Cyril Collard's film is an exception to most AIDS-issue movies. Returning from a trip to Morocco in 1986, Jean (Collard) finds he is HIV-positive. However, the 30-year-old bisexual film-maker/musician continues to live to the full - cruising strangers, taking up with Samy (Lopez), embarking on a relationship with Laura (Bohringer), with whom Jean has unsafe sex, initially omitting to warn her. But that's not what upsets the teenager, who believes her love is stronger than death. Only when she fears losing him to Samy does she crack up. Besides the raw vitality of its visuals, what distinguishes Collard's film is its unrepentant honesty. If none of the main characters is especially admirable, or likeable, they are all credible. The film has a few longueurs, but its refusal to simplify or soften the plight facing Jean, Laura and Samy guarantees a powerful provocative and relevant account of lives on the emotional edge.