The narrative unfolds across two timelines, weaving together the present day and the summer of 1984 in Cognac, France.
| Role | Name | | :--- | :--- | | | Olivier Peyon | | Novel Author | Philippe Besson | | Stéphane Belcourt (Present) | Guillaume de Tonquédec | | Lucas Andrieu | Victor Belmondo | | Young Stéphane | Jérémy Gillet | | Thomas Andrieu | Julien De Saint Jean |
In 1984, in the town of Cognac, France, two schoolboys—Stéphane Belcourt (Jérémy Gillet) and Thomas Andrieu (Julien de Saint-Jean)—engage in a secret, passionate love affair. Thomas, who initially pursues Stéphane, grapples with his sexuality and feels a strong, conflicting obligation to stay in Cognac and inherit his family's farm. While both young men fall deeply in love, their relationship is forced to exist in the shadows because of the social pressures of their small town, leading to a dramatic and painful conclusion.
The French title translates to Stop with Your Lies . The film’s central tragedy is not homophobia (though it is present) but rather . He loves Stéphane but chooses to marry a woman, have children, and pretend the summer affair never happened. Decades later, Stéphane is left to pick up the pieces of a story that was never resolved.
For those searching for "," this question typically has two meanings. First, in an online context, users want to confirm a film is real, especially when there are multiple projects sharing the same title. Second, film enthusiasts want to find trustworthy information about its production, cast, and reception. This article serves as a comprehensive, verified resource on the 2022 French romantic drama, Lie with Me (French: Arrête avec tes mensonges ), to confirm its existence, provide essential details, and answer common viewer questions.
Weaknesses
The narrative follows , a celebrated, middle-aged novelist who has spent 35 years avoiding his childhood home in Cognac, France. When he reluctantly agrees to return to act as a brand ambassador for a famous local distillery celebrating its bicentennial, he expects a routine marketing trip. Instead, he faces an emotional ambush.
Victor Belmondo (grandson of French acting legend Jean-Paul Belmondo). Stéphane (Young): Jérémy Gillet. Thomas: Julien de Saint Jean.
Before diving deeper, here are the verified production and release details for the 2022 film:
As Stéphane navigates the public relations duties of the event, he discovers that Lucas is the son of , his first great love—a secret, passionate summer romance from when they were both 17 years old. Thomas, now absent from the town, left behind a legacy of silence, marriage, and family. Through a series of flashbacks, we witness teenage Stéphane (Jérémy Gillet) and teenage Thomas (Julien De Saint Jean) navigating a clandestine affair in the 1980s, a time when homosexuality was far less accepted in rural France.
The film features a talented cast and crew, all of which can be verified on official sources like IMDb and Wikipedia.
The narrative unfolds across two timelines, transitioning between the present day and the summer of 1984 in the rural French town of Cognac:
Reviewers from Omnivorous describe the film as a powerful exploration of memory, loss, and the "pernicious power of the closet".
