While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

It's impossible to know just how close to 'honesty' Christophe Honore comes in his film "Man at Bath" since this study of a gay relationship on the rocks gives us a set of characters that, if we relate to them at all, we do so with a fair amount of distaste. This is a very sexually explicit film but it is a film without love; the only character capable of love, you think, is Emmanuel and he's been denied it and in turn denies it to others. He's played by the gay porn star Francois Sagat with a reasonable degree of empathy; at least he's the only character on screen with whom you might identify with emotionally. Otherwise this film, which is also concerned with filmmaking as a livelihood and the process of 'acting' in general, is masturbatory in all the wrong ways. I am sure there must be a point to it as well as an audience but right now it's difficult to see either. On the plus side at least, one character has the good taste to read "Franny and Zooey" though he does so in the bath.

Maybe it's just me but this film for all its moodiness and abstract story telling sure got my juices going. The lead is a former porn star and this guy sure knows how to flaunt his stuff. You never get tired of looking at his perfect body in all its shimmering glory. In one scene a woman pays him $20 just to look at his butt and since he is broke he agrees to the deal. She then strips down to show him her butt when her boyfriend walks in but as only the French can do the three end up in bed together. Ah, the French! There's no one like 'em! The story is not easy to follow and a couple of times I grumbled and groaned but my buddy kept telling me the film is very French and very New Wave so I had to quiet down and attempt to appreciate the film from my buddy's sophisticated point of view.

First off this is directed and written by truly a visionary talent that I absolutely love behind the camera and also his writing talent. He is able to capture his actors and also create a feel that leaves lasting impressions upon the viewer. He is it stunning in creating and building up his characters and also the scenarios those characters are going through. Christophe Honore is a brilliant talented young fresh original and brilliant director, He has directed so many very stunning films such as 2006's Dan's Paris and 2007's Love Songs and 2009's Making Plans for Lena, just to name a few.Just about every picture I see that he creates ends up leaving a lasting mark on my love affair of cinema. I was finally given the opportunity to watch this film titled, Man at Bath which was a 2010 film. What's interesting to note about this movie is this stars gay porn actor Francois Sagat. This would be his second main stream performance in a feature film. Now many die-hard gay porn lovers will know him throughout many of his pornographic films probably most notably in the many Titan Media Porn Studio film. His first main stream film was in the 2010 violent and controversy L.A. Zombie. Now he did appear in another mainstream movie but really didn't act, he was just billed as the male addict in 2009's Saw VI. He is a very muscular, beautiful, sexy handsome looking man and he is very gifted and versatile in the sexual department and also acting. Very lustful, very eye candy-ish. Very manly man in the overall persona, specifically in the gay porn world. He is of French nationality. Most recently a model. Many will know him as a pornographic God to the fans of his appearances and abilities. Ultimately it was a treat to see him acting in this movie.Your main character Emmanuel is a gay hustler who lives with his lover Omar. Both live in Paris. They fight and Emmanuel is heartbroken and has to basically strive for himself and on his own. Now Omar heads to Manhattan and the movie follows both men as they discover a new life and accepts on there challenges of breaking up and coming to terms with their current life settings. They have to ultimately find themselves again and both are having to struggle and find their ultimate stable in life.You can finish my review here: http://www.abucketofcorn.com/2014/08/man- at-bath-2010.html

This type of film seems to be very popular in Europe. These foreign filmmakers are so lucky they get to shoot realistic/experimental films using real porn stars, popular movie actors, using convenient indoor/outdoor locations and inexpensive film cameras. It's obvious most of these films are not scripted and without a reasonable budget, so the performers in these films are usually working for free. Francois Sagat makes half a million dollars for some of the Adult films he stars in, I'm sure, and he has made many Adult films to live comfortably for the rest of his life. My guess as to why he would agree to play the part of a sex hungry guy, that also sells his body for quick cash, is probably the same reason he is a porn star. It's right up his alley (no pun intended) to do what he knows best, even if the director of this film cannot afford to pay him what he normally earns for one scene in a gay porn film. This film looks a lot like one that an aspiring filmmaker is shooting often with his buddies but will never get to release it here in America because it isn't a violent film that cost 50 to 150 million to make and it isn't a film that will make 100 million dollars in the first weekend.Movies, videos and other visual media are very influential. That has been proved especially true in the last 20 years. Europe has extremely less violence than America does because they focus most of their media on less violent issues. They have never been afraid to explore sexual issues as well, unlike America. Sexuality is still a taboo here in America, well, mostly male sexuality that is. Women have always been exploited through their bodies in the media for decades.In America, we have more violent situations occurring because everywhere we look in the media, there is something negative or violent happening. Most movies released every year in America has something to do with violence: endless car crashes, huge explosions, rapes, men fighting with other men in and out of bars – whether they're drunk or sober using their fists and large amounts of deadly weapons, endless serial killer movies, jealous female or male murderers and a long list of other useless/senseless movies that are made in America. The highest death rate every year has to be in America.OK, back to reviewing the film. No, there isn't much of a plot to follow or any ideal lead characters to root for or to wish any harm to. And I still enjoyed watching this film because it felt like a place away from home, a "beautifully naked" place or an environment I won't ever afford to experience in my lifetime because Europe is a very expensive place to live for someone like myself. I enjoy watching films that deal with sexuality freely without any "Crazy-American" hang-ups/issues. I like watching films that won't have me dreaming about someone stalking or killing me or vice versa. Remember, sexual films are good, violent films are bad.I have been trying to make experimental/realistic films like this for years without any luck and I admire those that make it happen in ways that look simple and possible one day for me.