Keeper (DVD) – Movie Review
When you’re fifteen years old and madly in love with your girlfriend when she turns out to be pregnant, your world turns into a rollercoaster where you don’t know if you can ever get off. You’re still children yourselves, but will soon be parents as well. It’s a situation that brings along all kinds of emotions, both in you as a couple as in your parents, as it’s not only your world that gets shaken, but often theirs too.
Max (Kacey Mottet Klein) and Mel (Galatéa Bellugi) are a teenage couple, very much in love with each other. Max trains very hard to become a professional soccer player, but as for now, his main goal is to get noticed by a scout. One day, Mel tells him that she thinks she is pregnant. He doesn’t make too much out of it, as she didn’t take a test yet. When she does take a test and it turns out positive, they can hardly believe it. They decide not to tell their parents for the time being, as they first have to figure out what to do themselves. Mel is exploring all options, calling in the help of a counselor who emphasizes that it’s her choice alone, even though he does point out that they are both very young (only fifteen) to become parents.
While Mel isn’t really sure what to do, the idea of becoming a parent grows more and more on Max and he persuades Mel to keep the baby. When Mel’s mother finds out about it all, she thinks differently about it though, and wants Mel to have it taken away as they won’t be able to support the baby financially, and the chances that the two will stay together are not that big, given their young age. Max’ parents are more compliant and try to find a solution that will suit all of them. The whole situation puts a strain on the couple’s relationship, but at least they still support each other.
Keeper tackles a subject that is not that easily discussable, as it shows the story of a teen couple facing the consequences of getting pregnant. It is brought in a very honest way though, where the focus is on all parties involved. The story is nicely built up, really tackling the key moments during Mel’s pregnancy. That way, the story keeps moving and doesn’t get dull. It’s clear that Mel and Max love each other, but you can see in their behavior, their decisions, their emotions etc. that they are still only fifteen and are still kids themselves. Mel’s mother is the rational one of the bunch, while Max’ family respects their choice of keeping the baby. They all want what’s best for their children of course, but it’s also very noticeable how money, a good home and a partner influence their view on things.
Galatéa Bellugi puts down a very natural, honest acting performance that is very enjoyable to watch. She seems to know exactly what must be going through a pregnant fifteen year old’s mind and manages to transfer that onto the screen as well. Kacey Mottet Klein can stand well beside her, as he too acts in a very natural way. The two together manage to tell a catching story that feels honest and true. Credit where credit is due: for actors as young as they, they really did a marvelous job.
For special features, there are some deleted scenes to watch, but as there are no subtitles available for these scenes, it’s quite difficult to follow if you don’t speak fluent French, and thus pretty useless to watch, which is a bit sad. There are also two short films added to the bonus material – with subtitles – that are of decent quality and will keep you busy for another half hour if you fancy watching them. Lastly, you’ll find the trailer of the film here as well, which feels a bit useless since you’ve just seen the film, but nonetheless is often added to the extras.
Conclusion
Keeper tackles the difficult subject of teen pregnancy, and does so in a very honest, open way. It’s refreshing to see how natural the actors play, and it seems every opinion on the matter is taken into account, without taking sides for either one of them. As a viewer you get a clear look at all characters’ points of view, and because of the openness, it’s easy to relate to any one of them. Beautiful acting performances and a strong story make this film a definite must-see.
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