I don't see what justifies the rave reviews. Apart from the exposition, it came off fairly boring. Yes, Loic is enigmatic and incredibly attractive, and the film could have developed well based on that, but instead it wanders hopelessly after its first 20 minutes and becomes essentially 90% talk and 10% plot. That gets old fast. Even the few unusual "incidents" toward the end -- which I'd guess are there to provide a shock or epiphany -- seem pointlessly surreal.The director indulges a number of disconnected fetishes for no apparent purpose. What are we supposed to make of the recurring shots of the Alps, or the distressed and always-bandaged eyebrow piercing? If these are supposed to be symbolic of something about Loic, their meanings are far too obscure. If the writers intended to make us guess at these things, that's a tired, pretentious technique that I think ends up being merely annoying, not clever.

This film is an interesting tour through the experiences of the main character, Loïc. The title of this movie is perfect--Loïc is definitely un garçon stupide. He has no emotional attachment, save Marie, his roommate/friend. He hooks up with other men online--of various ages and preferences--for meaningless sex. His mind is blank and simple. He does not know even what Impressionism is, or who Hitler was. He is detached from everything around him.Lionel (who is also the director/writer/periodic cameraman) is a pivotal character in the change that Loïc undergoes. He explores new interests--most notably photography. He begins to learn that people can be interested in things other than sex. All the while, a turbulent undercurrent plays out for him. Marie has found someone. Though she does not spend an abundant amount of time with him, Loïc is thrown into a jealous rage. The two part ways, and Loïc becomes depressed.Seeking companionship, Loïc becomes fascinated with Rui, a local footballer. He follows Rui, watches his games, and exhibits stalker-like behavior, including photographing him without his consent. Then the movie falls apart. Marie dies, though it is not entirely clear if she killed herself (in the scene where Loïc finds her, she is on the bathroom floor, bleeding; there is a rope tied around her neck and the exercise bar that Loïc installed has been torn from the doorway). Loïc then runs away and visits Rui, a process which is never fully explained--he is invited into Rui's house, introduced to his son, and the three go on a picnic.It is then that a different Loïc is shown: one who is caring and compassionate. He cares for Rui, whose eyes were irritated by the sun. The scene then jumps to an overturned car driven by Loïc, and then to the hospital. A random man and his wife take care of Loïc until he is better. He then photographs a parade with socialists, communists, gay activists, and what appeared to be a fascist. The movie begins to end with him developing an identity, though it is not clear what that is. The final scene, and the only one in the last twenty-five or so minutes of the film that made a lot of sense to me is at a carnival. He wanders around, then gets on a ferris wheel. He is shown flirting with a guy in another seat, who looks back and smiles. The movie is an interesting exploration of Loïc's character, but the last few scenes are so fragmented that I'm left wondering what happened.

This film was fascinating but very confusing. Plot lines seemed to start and stop at random, generally without even a hint of resolution. Perhaps the director suffers from whatever disability Luic suffers... not quite Attention Deficit Disorder, but clearly an inability to stay with a particular story line. And Luic's inability to empathize or even appropriately connect with others suggests that there's some psychological or mental condition at work. It's not simple naiveté... even after he's experienced something, he's still essentially untouched and unenlightened by it. Luic is reminiscent of Chauncey Gardner from Being There -- a delightful chap who's a blank slate-- others project motives and insights onto his blankness, but those projections say more about them than about him... there's simply no 'there' with Luic, except his ability to capture them in photographs, whether on his phone or in his head... he examines them in microscopic detail, but with no more comprehension than he has of the stuffed animals in the museum. And is he drawn to the fellow at the end because he thinks he's seeing himself... or someone who has the same disability?

This film took me into another country and into another world. It is a sensitive exploration of a young man trying to get his needs met the only ways he knows how. Luic, the young protagonist, is sorely lacking in his ability to cultivate the potential for relationships that appear in his life. The longing and hunger for emotional connection is powerfully expressed throughout the film. I wanted the young man to reach out to the other characters in the film, and the frustration I felt echoed that of Luic's. Obviously, he did not develop meaningful relationships in his childhood. And this has placed him inside a glass fortress of his own design. The filmmaker captures the human suffering associated with the conflict between our needful souls and our quest to live a life that speaks to those needs. I look forward to more films from this young director.