Thomas is the archetype of the unattainable crush: popular, ostensibly heterosexual, and dating the most beautiful girl in school. Yet, a connection sparks between him and Stéphane. What begins as a furtive glance in the schoolyard evolves into a secret, intense romance. The film handles the development of this relationship with exquisite care, capturing the specific cadence of a teenage romance—equal parts tenderness and terror.
It is a beautiful, sad, and ultimately hopeful film. It suggests that even if you cannot bring back the dead or reverse time, you can still tell the truth. And in telling the truth, as Stéphane finally does, you free the next generation (Lucas) from the weight of his father’s lies.
The Words We Never Said
The film is praised for its nuanced performances and sensitive direction . Guillaume de Tonquédec Lucas Andrieu: Victor Belmondo Stéphane (Young): Jérémy Gillet Thomas Andrieu (Young): Julien de Saint Jean Gaëlle Flamand: Guilaine Londez Director: Olivier Peyon
The casting is a triumph. Guillaume de Tonquédec plays Stéphane with a brittle shell of success that barely conceals a teenage boy still waiting for a letter that never came. But the revelation is Jérémy Gillet and Julien de Saint-Jean as the young lovers. Their chemistry is tactile and raw. A specific scene—where Thomas holds Stéphane’s hand under a restaurant table while his father discusses football—is a masterclass in the terror and ecstasy of closeted desire. Lie With Me Film 2022
The next day, Stéphane delivers his talk. Instead of speaking about brandy or fame, he reads a new passage—raw and unpolished—about two boys and a goodbye that was never spoken aloud. The audience is silent. For the first time in his career, Stéphane isn’t hiding behind fiction.
For fans of: God’s Own Country , Portrait of a Lady on Fire , Maurice , Brokeback Mountain . Thomas is the archetype of the unattainable crush:
is deceptively deep. It explores:
Their relationship is defined by its contradictions. Stéphane is the observer, the writer-in-waiting, sensitive and acutely aware of the social chasm between them. Thomas, son of a local factory worker, is rooted in a masculine, working-class world that offers no vocabulary for his desires. He is the "liar" of the title, living a double life to survive. The film handles the development of this relationship
“You don’t know me,” the young man says, “but I’m Lucas. My father was Thomas Andrieu.”