A PRINCE -- Horny Horticulture

Review by Joseph Fayed

Has the thought of plants ever made you think of sex? If not, you're probably like most people in this world. But if you are anything like the characters in A Prince, you will see how the sheer solitude of botany can illicit some brow-raising desires. 

The film follows Pierre-Joseph, who, according to his dysfunctional family, is set to become one of two things: a plumber or a florist. He picks the latter. While a student, he observes his aging teachers and mentors and soon realizes he is attracted to one of them. Primarily told by an aged Pierre-Joseph as narrator, this tale shows how he planted the seeds (no pun intended) to sprout some lust in the gardens. 

This film relies on narration to voice the thoughts of most of the main characters. It is a strategy that works to expand Pierre-Joseph's mind and does no other favors. Pierre-Joseph's feelings and desires deserve to have a voice. But we rely too heavily on him because the film would be entirely bland without him. However, for a story about intimacy, we don't hear much from his partners or those with whom he has an established connection. Pierre-Joseph is not an unreliable narrator, so to have the film structured from his point of view and not be a distorted reality — but still lacking character development for all but one — is a step back.  ​

Sexuality is depicted as an awkward tease. This is certainly not the first time that has been done, but in French cinema, it seems bizarre. Pierre-Joseph's dirty thoughts are mostly just that. While confessing these to the viewer, some are tied into the story well. Most of the film is a tease, and we wait for the build-up between the main two love interests. When this finally happens without spoiling much, it is certainly memorable, but that happens and you feel like you are just itching for much more. Maybe it's an allegory for sex, but so much hype and an underwhelming result don't necessarily transfer well to the screen. 

The biggest hope this film had going for it would have been embracing its campiness more. The sexual escapades of a botanist has camp written all over it. The supporting cast, who were the biggest letdown through no fault of their own, could have been such terrific misfits to watch. Pierre-Joseph's alcoholic mother, who works at a gun shop, is the most memorable example. Someone like that should be inserting themselves into their son's life more or be more horny herself. The jokes would write themselves, and underutilizing its deadpan humor potential to be something more serious backfired. 

A Prince finds itself in the wrong genre. It has trinkets of a dark comedy, but without knowing how to navigate the allure of sex, it falls flat. Camp icon and filmmaker John Waters ranked this as number two on his list of top ten films of 2023. There is one scene alone (which, again, no spoilers) I can think of that, given the impressive CGI, I would understand why this film got ranked so high by Waters. But it also makes me wish this film was in the hands of someone who is not afraid to be bolder and more brazen. Hot girl summer is around the corner, and we are off to a bad start. 

A Prince hits theaters on May 10.

​Rating: 1/5​