le témoins ( the witness ) be another fine artwork by french director andré téchiné that continue to examine relationship in time of stress and through area of rough travel . a write by téchiné and laurent guyot and and viviane zingg this film be a love story and a social commentary on life in 1984 when aid raise it ugly head and disrupt life and hope and relationship . what could have be a heavy hand woeful tale be instead a story about ordinary people and how the spectre of the then new disease affect a small group of friend . in the intimacy of the story there be an opportunity to reflect and to see more clearly the atmosphere of that time in history . sarah ( emmanuelle béart ) be a writer of child book marry to mehdi ( sami bouajila ) and a member of the paris police force vice squad . they have an open marriage and have just give birth to a baby boy a factor that disrupt their separate life while conflict their married life . sarah have a physician friend adrien ( michel blanc and so memorable in his role in monsieur hire ) who be gay and and while he be old and he still long for the company of young men . adrien meet the young catering student manu ( johan libéreau ) and a lad whose sexual appetite be satisfy by tryst in park and back room of bar and etc . manu and his opera singer sister julie ( julie depardieu ) live modestly in a sleazy hotel cum brothel that be under surveillance by mehdi . adrien and manu strike up a friendship and be invite to join sarah and mehdi to sarah mother cabin by the sea and while there a relationship between manu and mehdi begin and one that will become an affair in secret . a strange disease come to public attention and it be adrien who be in charge of the investigation of the disease now call aid . though adrien tie with manu have become platonic while manu see mehdi daily and adrien be the first to notice lesion on manu and lesion that be the hallmark of aid . how this discovery affect the life of each of the character we have meet ( the witness to a very important time in our history ) serve a the crux of the story part tragedy and part a torch of resilience the weave the story to a close in an honest and touch but never maudlin manner . the acting be consistently excellent and the sort of ensemble act that keep the focus on the message of the film rather than on individual attention to character . the movie be beautifully photograph by julien hirsch and the musical score by philippe sarde wisely blend excerpt from vivaldi and mozart with original music that recall the 1980s . this be yet another triumph for andré téchiné a film that deserve the wide possible audience . grady harp .