Review: Eden

Eden tells the story of French house music from the early 1990s to the present day. A part autobigrophy by DJ Sven Hansen-Løve the film will resonant with a generation. The film opens with the toing and froing of teens to an illegal rave in a disused submarine. It sets the scene for a young DJ duo called Cheers trying to make it in the music industry. The film largely centres on the life and loves of DJ Paul played by Félis de Givry as he see his life rise and fall as he enters his 30s.

The film is a heavy mix of hormones, drugs and music. The soundtrack to summer youth played out in an overcast France and a long bright sun filled summer in NYC. The director (Mia Hansen-Løve) and writer are able to recreate youthful dreams and adult nightmares. The seriousness of life and the fun of youth are thrown together with a sense of humour and love for life.

Paul and Stan (Hugo Conzelmann) grow up in the centre of the house music revolution. They form a DJing duo Cheers. Their music gets the attention of French dance radio stations and music producers.

The suicide of a good friend Cyril (Roman Kolinka) inconsolably destroys the group of friends who are moving to new lives and successes in New York. Cyril's death causes a rift between Paul and his girlfriend Louise (Pauline Etenne), Louise finds it difficult to be with Paul and is further pushed away by his decision to meet up with an ex-girlfriend Julia (Greta Gerwig). The loss of Louise becomes an instant regret for Paul.

As he moves he joking points out he spent 3 months trying have sex with money grabbing socialite Margot (Laura Smet). The film deals with Paul as a young hopeful in the 1990s to his down fall in the late 2000s. As the film begins his mother reads to an article from Le Monde telling of the dangers of E, and complains he's not taking his studies seriously. He laughs it off, but his drug of choice is Cocaine. The end of the movie shows Paul confessing to his mother he has no money and a drug addiction.

The film does not dwell in the light of hindsight and does not take the moral high ground.

The films soundtrack is too intermediate to the story, while the soundtrack is house heavy it fails to be heavy enough. The nightclub scenes are set up nicely and will bring you back to those heady days of dance anthems. French DJs Daft Punk feature played by Vincent Lacoste and Arnaud Azoulay.