The French Kissers 2009

Romance

Drama

Comedy

Box Office

$8M

Runtime

90 mins

Language

French

Directed by

Marjane Satrapi

Made by

Les Films des Tournelles

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The French Kissers Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for The French Kissers (2009). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

Hervé, Vincent Lacoste, is a teenage boy in junior high with ordinary looks and middling grades, living with his single mother in a housing estate in Rennes. He and his best friend Camel, Anthony Sonigo, often fantasize about their female classmates and their mothers, but have less luck with girls in reality. Their days are a mix of small dreams, shy dalliances, and the everyday humor of adolescence, all set against the backdrop of a close-knit, working-class neighborhood.

He begins to test their luck with romance at school, including Laura, Julie Scheibling, who agrees to a date more as a joke than a real romance. Then Aurore, Alice Trémolière, a beautiful and popular girl, asks him on a date, and they embark on an awkward, earnest relationship. The pair—and their circle of friends—navigate the mixed signals of first attraction, the thrill of closeness, and the awkward boundaries that come with growing up. Meanwhile, Hervé and Camel are frequently described as intimate, sometimes exploring their sexuality privately and together, a detail that underscores the film’s frank, unglamorous look at teen life.

Aurore eventually ends things when her friends try to grope her during a game of Dungeons & Dragons, and she discovers that Hervé has not been truthful about his experiences with her. The breakup marks a turning point as the characters edge toward high school, testing new relationships and the evolving dynamics of their friendships. The story closes with the group adjusting to older versions of themselves: Hervé is dating Sabrina, Camel is dating Jenifer, and Aurore is dating Wulfran, while Hervé’s mother, Noémie Lvovsky, is married to Anas’s father, Yannig Samot, signaling the persistence of family bonds even as the kids grow up.

The French Kissers Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of The French Kissers (2009) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

Hervé and Camel's life in Rennes

Hervé and Camel are best friends living in a Rennes housing estate. They navigate junior high together, sharing ordinary days and jokes as they grow up. Their close friendship provides a stable backdrop for the onset of their teenage ambitions.

late junior high Rennes housing estate, junior high

Fantasies and flirtations

The two boys fantasize about girls and their mothers, using these daydreams to measure their self-worth and social standing. Their fantasies reveal insecurities about romance and the pressure to appear older than their years. The conversations are playful, but they hint at the awkward reality to come.

late junior high Rennes housing estate / school

Laura accepts a date as a joke

Hervé asks Laura out, hoping for a real romance, but Laura treats the date as a joke. She agrees to go along, not out of genuine interest, which underscores Hervé's repeated romantic misfires. The moment highlights the gap between his fantasies and the real dating scene.

late junior high Junior high, Rennes

Aurore asks Hervé on a date

Aurore, a popular classmate, asks Hervé on a date and they begin an awkward relationship. Their early interactions are shy and tentative, with both trying to figure out how to talk to and please each other. The relationship becomes the new center of Hervé's social life.

late junior high School, Rennes

Hervé and Aurore's cautious romance

Despite occasional closeness, Hervé and Aurore remain cautious about romance and struggle to move beyond kissing. The dynamic shows how peer expectations and insecurity shape their decisions. They drift through dates that feel more searching than confident.

late junior high School, Rennes

A testing moment during a D&D game

An incident during a Dungeons & Dragons game tests trust when Hervé's friends' behavior creates discomfort. Aurore learns that Hervé has been dishonest about aspects of their relationship, which sours her view of him. The episode forces them to confront honesty and boundaries.

late junior high D&D game session

Aurore ends the relationship

After the incident, Aurore breaks up with Hervé. The breakup marks a turning point as Hervé faces the consequences of his actions and the fragility of teenage relationships. The social circle around them begins to shift as well.

immediately after the incident D&D session / school

Jump to high school

The film skips forward to high school, showing the characters in a new phase of adolescence. Each character has evolved, forming fresh relationships and alliances. The Rennes setting continues to frame their growing independence.

early high school High school, Rennes

Hervé and Sabrina

Hervé is now dating Sabrina, signaling a more mature approach to romance. The relationship shows his growth from earlier misfires, though they still face typical teenage uncertainties. They remain part of a shared social circle with Camel and Aurore.

early high school High school, Rennes

Camel and Jenifer

Camel starts dating Jenifer, marking a parallel arc of teenage romance. The two friends' social circles remain interconnected as they navigate new relationships. The high school environment intensifies their experiences.

early high school High school, Rennes

Aurore and Wulfran

Aurore, who once dated Hervé, is now dating Wulfran, illustrating how the previous romantic ties evolve into new pairings. The shifting dynamics reflect how friendships adapt to changing love lives. The high school setting continues to shape their choices.

early high school High school, Rennes

Mother's marriage to Anas's father

Hervé's mother marries Anas's father, merging two families as life moves on. The family changes echo the broader growth around the teenagers. This new domestic arrangement signals a new stability behind their ongoing adolescence.

high school years Home in Rennes

The French Kissers Characters

Explore all characters from The French Kissers (2009). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

Hervé (Vincent Lacoste)

A teenage boy with ordinary looks and middling grades, Hervé lives with his single mother on a Rennes housing estate. He pursues romances with mixed results, balancing hopeful fantasies with real-world awkwardness. His friendships with Camel pull him into playful yet risky schemes, revealing his vulnerability and desire for social approval.

🚶‍♂️ Teenage 🧭 Hopeful 💔 Insecure

Camel (Anthony Sonigo)

Hervé's best friend, Camel is impulsive and imaginative, often spurring wild fantasies about girls. He supports Hervé but also pushes boundaries, framing much of the boys' antics. The duo's bond reveals both loyalty and the dangers of peer-driven mischief.

👬 Friend 🧠 Mischievous 😬 Loyal

Aurore (Alice Trémolière)

Aurore is the popular and beautiful girl Hervé is drawn to. She agrees to a date but remains wary of the boys' antics. Her relationship with Hervé falters after the D&D incident exposes deception and crosses boundaries.

💃 Popular 💖 Romantic 🫢 Cautious

Laura (Julie Scheibling)

Laura is another classmate who agrees to date Hervé as a joke, highlighting the casual, sometimes cruel humor of teen social circles. She provides a counterpoint to Aurore's popularity and helps frame Hervé's romantic misadventures.

👧 Classmate 🤏 Witty 🫶 Guarded

La mère d'Hervé (Noémie Lvovsky)

Hervé's mother is a protective, single parent figure who forms the home backdrop for the film's events. Her relationship with Hervé and her occasional concern about his behavior ground the story in a family dynamic.

👩‍👦 Protective 🧩 Complex 🏠 Family

Le père d'Hervé (Christophe Vandevelde)

The father figure appears as part of the family unit's dynamics, highlighting the presence and absence of parental guidance in shaping Hervé's choices and sense of responsibility.

👨‍👦 Family 🧭 Guidance 🕰️ Absence

The French Kissers Settings

Learn where and when The French Kissers (2009) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Time period

Early 21st century

The events take place in contemporary France as Hervé moves from middle school toward high school. The film captures the mood of modern adolescence, including dating rituals, peer pressure, and the awkward moments that define growing up. The time period reflects everyday life in a French city without a distinct historical backdrop.

Location

Rennes, France

The story unfolds in Rennes, a city in Brittany, centered on a concrete housing estate that shapes the daily life of Hervé and his friends. The setting emphasizes ordinary, working-class life and the small-scale social world of teenagers. It serves as a grounded backdrop for first loves, friendships, and the awkwardness of adolescence.

🏙️ Urban setting 🏘️ Housing estate

The French Kissers Themes

Discover the main themes in The French Kissers (2009). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

🧭

Coming of Age

The film follows Hervé's tentative steps toward adulthood, as he chases dating opportunities and grapples with insecurity. It contrasts daydreams with real-life outcomes, highlighting how early relationships shape self-perception. The narrative shows how friendships and missteps contribute to personal growth during adolescence.

💘

Romance & Rejection

Romantic longing drives Hervé's quests, from awkward dates with Laura to a more complicated relationship with Aurore. The story explores how desire can collide with social scrutiny, deception, and miscommunication. Breakups reveal the fragility of first loves and the lessons learned from them.

🤝

Peer Pressure & Boundaries

Hervé and Camel chase fantasies together, often testing boundaries with their friends. The group dynamics show how peer pressure can push teens toward reckless behavior and riskier choices. The Dungeons & Dragons incident acts as a catalyst for consequences and a reckoning with boundaries and trust.

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The French Kissers Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of The French Kissers (2009). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

In the cramped yet lively housing estate of Rennes, a teenage boy named Hervé drifts through junior‑high life with the same uncertainty that colors the streets outside his window. He lives with his single mother, a constant but understated presence, while the world around him hums with the chatter of classmates, the clatter of school corridors, and the occasional burst of French pop culture that feels both familiar and just out of reach. The film paints this everyday backdrop with a warm, slightly off‑kilter palette, letting the audience feel the rhythm of a neighborhood where everyone is trying, in their own way, to be heard.

Hervé’s best friend, Camel, is his partner‑in‑crime and confidant, sharing the same mix of teenage bravado and hidden insecurity. Together they craft fantasies about the girls at school and their mothers, turning ordinary crushes into elaborate day‑dreams that underscore their yearning to belong. Their conversations swing between earnest curiosity and goofy bravado, creating a comic undercurrent that keeps the mood light even as the stakes of adolescence feel immense.

Enter Aurore, the picture‑perfect popular girl whose presence seems to ripple through the school’s social fabric. She becomes a focal point for Hervé’s tentative steps toward romance, offering a glimpse of what it might feel like to move beyond the realm of imagined scenarios and into awkward, real‑world encounters. The film lingers on the palpable tension of first dates, the nervous stutter of a kiss, and the clumsy attempts to navigate intimacy in a world where everyone is still learning the rules.

The tone steadies between gentle humor and a tender exploration of teenage angst, inviting viewers to watch as these young people stumble through misunderstandings, playful banter, and the ever‑present desire to fit in. The eclectic cast of friends, family, and schoolmates adds layers of color and unpredictability, ensuring that every interaction feels both authentic and delightfully unpredictable.

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