Review of Eastern Boys

Illegal immigrants from the former Soviet Union come to major European cities where they eke out an existence as grifters. In this compelling drama from former editor turned director Robin Campillo (The Returned, etc), a group of young former Russian youths linger around the main Paris railway station, looking for potential victims. In particular, they prey on middle aged gay men, using good looking youths to lure the men into a trap. One such victim is Muller (Olivier Rabourdin, from Taken 2, etc), a well dressed businessman who catches the eye of the handsome youth Marek (Kirill Emelyanov). He invites Marek back to his lavishly furnished apartment, but is surprised when a gang of thugs turn up, who party hard while systematically looting the place. And of course Muller can't go to the police, which is what the gang count on. Shortly afterwards, Marek turns up alone, and a relationship begins between the two. Marek tries to keep the relationship a secret from his gang. Eventually Muller develops a more paternal concern for Marek and convinces him to leave the gang and start a new life. Which is when the situation grows more intense and dangerous. An exploration of gay male sexuality, xenophobia, and the immigration problems plaguing Europe in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union, Eastern Boys begins slowly and undergoes a number of tonal shifts. There is an extraordinary sequence in which the gang strips Muller's apartment while throbbing disco music pounds on the soundtrack. But Campillo ratchets up the tension and suspense as the film moves towards its climax, which is quite gripping and claustrophobic. The moderately explicit sex scenes are handled delicately. Campillo uses long takes to develop the narrative tension. The two central performances are also solid. Rabourdin looks like a Gallic Kevin Spacey with his perpetually downbeat and gloomy expression, while Emelyanov is sympathetic as the naive and vulnerable Marek. There is a wonderful chemistry between the pair and the audience cares about their relationship. And Danil Vorobyev is quite menacing and chilling as the gang's psychopathic leader, simply addressed as "boss".