Far away from the hustle and bustle of city life Blaise (Denis Lavant, Lovers on the Bridge) accepts a job as a beach guard on a secluded but busy summer camp. There he encounters the beautiful, half his age, Camille (Islid Le Besco, A Tout De Suite) who immediately attracts his attention. The duo begins an open game of flirting eventually succumbing to sexual desire. But a torrid affair between an older man and a teenage girl is the last thing the campers need.

Rising French star Isild Le Besco who recently won the prestigious Marcello Mastroianni Award at the Venice Film Festival for her role in Benoit Jacquot's L'Intouchable (2006) teams up with old charmer Denis Lavant whose knack for difficult roles once again does not disappoint. Recreating an impossible relationship Camping Sauvage a.k.a Wild Camp (2005) tells a story with predictable but fascinating finale. Certainly because of Lavant's impenetrable face expressions, which audiences will have difficult time deciphering, the film is worth the price of admission.

A sexually-unbridled performance by Le Besco further enhances the quality of Wild Camp where a one dimensional storyline at times seems rather choppy. Similar to Emmanuelle Bercot's Backstage however (2005) where Le Besco played opposite Emmanuelle Seigner (Swimming Pool) the imperfections of the script are quickly negated by the young actress and her ability to improvise.

Contrary to the supercilious criticism some reviewers have unleashed at Christophe Ali and Nicolas Bonilauri, the directors of Wild Camp, I found the film's technical execution flawless. Mimicking the emotional rollercoaster the main protagonists are forced to endure the pacing of the film is uneven - obviously, intended to create a sense of confusion amongst the viewers.

The nervousness hanging over the film's last twenty minutes or so is plausibly enhanced by a hand-held camera work mixed with the music of Olivia Bouyssou and Nicolas Baby creating a hooky ambient feel while the main characters slip into deprivation. The finale, as expected, provides a logical but disturbing closure without denouncing or glorifying the actions of the two lovers.

Awards/ Recognition:

The film was part of the official selections at the Berlin International Film Festival (2005) and the Montreal Film Festival (2006).

How Does the DVD Look?

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and enhanced for widescreen TV's the R1 DVD appears to have been sourced from a PAL master yet the quality of the presentation is incredibly strong. "Ghosting" is extremely hard to spot and unless you have a high-end home set up I would assume that you won't be bothered by it all. Furthermore, the color reproduction is marvelously handled as is contrast maintaining good balance between the film's more vivid scenes and the night, often grainy, intended look. The actual quality of the print is also of excellent condition as I could not spot any specs, dust, or damage. Finally, edge-enhancement is tolerable and practically a non-issue with this release even though during two of the beach scenes in the second half of the film I found its presence stronger than what I would have liked it to be. Nevertheless, I would not hesitate to wholeheartedly recommend this film to those interested in both seeing and owning it.

How Does the DVD Sound?

Provided with a French 2.0 DD mix the audio sounds well! I did not detect any issues worthy of discussion here as both the dialog and the supporting soundtrack were addressed very well. My only complain is that perhaps a more elaborate soundtrack should have been included as it undoubtedly would have benefited the film especially during the final scenes. With optional English subtitles.

Extras:

There are no supplemental materials to be found on this DVD release.

Final Words:

A simple but tragic story elevated by Le Besco and Lavant's performances Wild Camp comes recommended. The young French actress is mesmerizing!!