Laconic lead? Check. Sexual encounters? Uh-huh. Polymathic director/ star? Oh yes. Coffee, cigarettes? Of course.
Wearing its arthouse credentials on its cardigan sleeve, Jacques Nolot’s drama offers an intriguing twist: the central character, an ex-gigolo, is old, gay and HIV-positive – and that’s not his navel he’s gazing at, but something a little lower.
Geriatrically paced but genuinely compassionate, Before I Forget introduces a world of ageing bodies, fading libidos and lives spent in thrall to fleeting pleasures. Whether it’s one you’ll want to visit depends on your stomach for watching grumpy old men unenthusiastically humping each other.
Matt Glasby
