ABC Film Challenge - World Cinema - # - 120 BPM (2017)

Director: Robin Campillo

Writer: Robin Campillo, Philippe Mangeot (Screenplay)

Starring: Nahuel Perez Biscayart, Arnaud Valois, Adele Haenel, Antoine Reinartz, Felix Maritaud, Ariel Borenstein

Plot: Members of the advocacy group ACT UP Paris demand action by the government and pharmaceutical companies to combat the AIDS epidemic in the early 1990s.

Runtime: 2 Hours 23 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Verdict: Important Drama

Story: 120 BPM starts when Nathan (Valois) looks to join the ACT UP group for homosexuals with aids fighting for their rights, Sophie (Haenel) and Thibault (Reinartz) lead the campaign which they make peaceful with fake blood being their only props.

As the fight continues to gain moment the group get to discuss issues in an open light which see them question a pharmaceutical company who is denying them medicine which could help prolong the life of the suffers, all while Nathan starts a relationship with one of the members of the group Sean (Biscayart).

Thoughts on 120 BPM

Characters – Sean is one of the active members of ACT UP group, he has been part of the group and will challenge the options of the group without going against them, he starts a relationship with Nathan as the two get to see just how much more they are fighting for. Nathan is the newest member of the group, he gets the chance to join after seeing what they are all about and it isn’t long before he knew this was where he was meant to be fighting for his right to live. Sophie runs eh campaigns for the group, she keeps them peaceful believing this will be the only way to keep their priorities in the right direction. Thibault helps run the group working with Sophie leading the campaigns for the rights of the people.

Performances – When it comes to the performances here we get wonderful performances from the whole cast, each one shows the ability to have a calm and desperate side which is what the characters require if they are to get their points across. Nobody looks out of place in this movie.

Story – The story here shows how the campaign to give the AIDS sufferers in France gained a movement through the 1990s, it showed how the homosexual community joined forces to peaceful protest to have the right to prolong their lives, while having their own tragic stories of how they became infected with AIDS. This story falls into the important genre because it shows just how important what these people fought for would be for the future of millions, be it through awareness of he disease or the potential cur that could one day save millions.

Settings – The film uses the settings to show us the everyday life of the people involved, then the meeting locations with the campaign locations too.

Scene of the Movie – The meetings.