Young Hearts (2024)
Genre: Family / Drama
Duration: 97 minuten
Country:
Belgium
Directed by: Anthony Schatteman
Stars: Lou Goossens, Marius De Saeger and Geert Van Rampelberg
IMDb score:
7,9 (9.232)
Releasedate: 16 January 2025
Young Hearts plot
Fourteen-year-old Elias feels attracted to his peer and new neighbor Alexander. With this he experiences his first intense love. However, his conversations with friends and family leave him with more questions than answers. Despite his budding feelings and the inner chaos that comes with them, a confused Elias tries to win Alexander's heart.
Reviews & comments
mrklm
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- 12319 messages
- 10434 votes
Elias [Lou Goossens] has a thing for classmate Valerie [Saar Rogiers], but when he meets his new neighbor boy Alexander [Marius de Saeger]. Schatteman's screenplay obediently follows the well-trodden conventions of the coming-of-age drama, but Goossens' authentic acting (aided by his expressive eyes) makes it worthwhile.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Fisico
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- 10039 messages
- 5398 votes
This film indeed has nothing to do with Close. The comparison is crooked. Close illuminates the theme in a much darker way. Young hearts on the other hand is light-hearted and even resembles a youth film. Young hearts is playful, uninhibited and makes you dream of an ideal world. There are no negative characters and that may not seem very realistic, I understand Schatteman's approach. Attention is also needed for such dreamy films and they also contribute to creating a positive image of the theme.
It's also nice to see that Schatteman based the plot on his personal life. His father was also a charming singer, a relatively successful one too. And the film was shot in his native village. A completely different Van Rampelberg than I'm used to. Singing is also new to him! Lou Goossens does a great job and with his piercing eyes he steals the hearts of the viewer. It's also nice to see Dirk Van Dijck again and again, here as an understanding grandfather. Elias' father is understanding, but is rather absent and is more concerned with his career than with his son(s).
Young hearts is a nice family film for young and old. I also noticed that there were a lot of young people in the audience (now and at the previous screenings). It's nice that this genre is also highlighted. Flemish cinema is often quite rough and heavy, except for the dull comedies.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Filmkriebel
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- 10194 messages
- 4767 votes
The rave reviews are true. I, too, was easily swept away by this coming-of-age story. A dreamy, sweet story about same-sex feelings. The kind of films that, amidst all the violence and negativity of today, offer a moment of peace. Schatteman believed that youth should be something beautiful and unforgettable, and he presents it all idealistically, without a trace of disapproval, as if you were dreaming it. You could almost call it unrealistic. Elias's feelings for Alexander unfold in an atmosphere of support and acceptance. With a beautiful soundtrack that adds a lot. The revelation is Lou Goossens, who gradually learns to face his feelings. As far as I'm concerned, Young Hearts can be mentioned in the same breath as Jongens and L'Eté '85. Finally, a Belgian film without the ranting and raving, without the terminally ill, without outcasts and drunks, and without the migration issues. It's about time.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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