Set in 1981 against the backdrop of the election of François Mitterand to the presidency, J’aime regarder les filles profiles the life Primo, a student trying to achieve his Baccalauréat diploma and become accepted by a group of rich friends. The film proves charming, albeit incomplete. Pierre Niney, who plays Primo, the unfortunate protagonist, engenders the audience’s sympathy despite behaviour which ranges from naïve to deplorable. Primo wishes to fit in but seems unable to take any responsibility for his actions which hurt himself, his friends and his family.
Primo lives in Paris, working at a variety of poor jobs in order to make ends meet as he studies for the upcoming Bac examinations (for a second time). He devotes so much time to his meaningless jobs and hanging out with friends that he has precious energy remaining for his studies. His teacher does not believe that Primo will pass so he offers to pay for champagne if Primo scores highly on his exams.
Meanwhile, France is in the midst of the most polarizing elections in recent memory as the liberal Mitterand is challenging the centre-right Valéry Giscard d’Estaing. During the presidential run-off and subsequent legislative elections, tensions boil over as the upper class worries that they may lose what they have and the lower class demands more equitable treatment. Primo is largely ignorant of these concerns; when he visits his parents to vote, he leaves before casting a ballot after he has been insulted by his brother.
During a Q and A session, director Frédéric Louf mentioned that the film was intended to be a political awakening for Primo although the film did not make this clear. Everything that Primo does is instinctive and based on the here and now. He was infatuated with the bourgeoise Gabrielle, at the expense of school, politics and the affections of the more sincere Delphine.
Louf shows another side of Paris that most films ignore and profiles personalities rather than locations. Occasionally, one may see a landmark such as the Sacré-Cœur Cathedral from Primo’s rooftop but the J’aime regarder les filles is a story of those who inhabit the city, not the city itself. The soundtrack, fashion and scenery showcase a moment in time and adequately convey what it was like to live in Paris during the 1980s. The screenplay is light-hearted, at the expense of more detail or further character development. Largely, the actors, many of whom belong to the Comédie Française make the film what it is.***