By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.75 cats
Director: Jacques Nolot
Starring: Bastien d’Asnières | Bernard Herlem | Bruno Moneglia | Jacques Nolot | Lionel Goldstein | Marc Riofoul
Original language title: Avant que j'oublie
Country: france
Year: 2008
Running time: 103
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0846668/
Bruce says: “What becomes of the many hustlers and gigolos who are objects of desire in their youth, then fade out of sight? Some miraculously survive but many die along the way, succumbing to AIDS, murder or substance abuse. BEFORE I FORGET is the story of one of the survivors named Pierre (Jacques Nolot) who was a high priced whore (so labeled by Roland Barthes) in his youth. Those early days were awash in a sea of johns and other hustlers, all jockeying for position in endless sexual competitions. This world of buyers and sellers of male flesh is a unique subculture. Liaisons do not happen in isolation. Johns know other johns and the hustlers move from bedroom to bedroom until they find a permanent arrangement or vanish into the night. And they constantly compare notes and gossip with one another.
“In the first scene Pierre tosses and turns in the night, gets up and walks to the bathroom where he spits out some phlegm and downs an analgesic or antacid, something to ease his agony. In dim daylight the camera follows him to the kitchen where he prepares his morning coffee and shuffles to his desk where he lights a cigarette and begins to write. He is still nude. The scene efficiently captures his loneliness and despair. Later the doorbell rings to announce Mark, a handsome young hustler, who has stopped by for a blowjob, a fuck and one hundred Euros for the effort. Initially one suspects that Pierre is a sad, wealthy old man who has spent his whole life pursuing similar young men. But that thought is quickly proven false. Pierre himself was formerly a gigolo. Pierre is one of the lucky ones. He found a patron named Toutoune at a young age and they fell in love, not a traditional romance considering Pierre admits Toutoune was ‘my mother, my father and my bank.’ Unlike many others Pierre acquired a vocation when he discovered he could write. He began to document his lifestyle, earning some money along the way. After Toutoune’s death, Pierre gets the insurance money but none of the estate’s artifacts he was promised. The will had disappeared, probably removed by distant relatives who descended upon the premises like flies.
“BEFORE I FORGET is filled with little surprises to stimulate and maintain interest. One is never certain what turn the film will take. Filmed in a verité style, the film often resembles a documentary masquerading as a narrative feature film as the camera follows Pierre from one appointment or visitation to another: his lawyer, his doctor, his shrink, his friend Paul, and his friend David. Pierre revels in self-doubt and sustained angst, leaving the viewer little room for sympathy. Sadly, some of his problems are merely a function of age and illness.
“The film suffers from two very questionable artistic decisions. The opening shot involves a black speck on a sheet of paper that evolves into a black hole as the camera approaches. Although several interpretations could be made in the context of the film, this introduction seems awkwardly out of place. The closing scene, the content of which would be unfair to divulge, employs Mahler to add superfluous melodramatic emphasis. These stylistic shifts add nothing to an otherwise brilliant portrait of the type of man whom one rarely gets a chance to see. 4.5 cats”
Philip says: “Possibly the most unique story I’ve seen in a long time, if not ever. This was my second time watching the remarkable, BEFORE I FORGET. Writer, director, star Jacques Nolot crafts a fascinating tale of a 58 year-old former male prostitute who has refused to take the new HIV meds in 2000 after years of being asymptomatic. He is now developing health problems and has to decide to take the drugs with potential lethal side effects, or live out what’s left of his now shortened life naturally. One of the funniest moments in the film is a telephone conversation between Pierre (Nolot) and his doctor. He recites a huge laundry list of potentially horrendous side effects, but only focuses on “potential hair loss” as the tipping point to not taking the meds. Just brilliant. Along the way Pierre tells the story of his life to an old hustler friend of his whom he reconnects with after 30 years and a 29 year-old hustler whom Pierre hires for pleasure. Pierre’s long-term relationship with a former john who has been his companion for decades is also a major focus of the film when the older man dies suddenly. An amazing story beautifully executed and acted. Not a mediocre moment in the movie. The ending is pure French, a bit confusing. I won’t spoil it, but will only say I saw it as a metaphor for Pierre embracing the continuation of his life with the joy of many new experiences. A must-see. Bravo Jacques Nolot. 5 cats”
“Review courtesy of Reel Charlie”