Stranger by the Lake (L'inconnu du lak) ****

Set entirely at a lake frequented by men looking for anonymous sex, "Stranger by the Lake" builds suspense and dread as it explores carnal desire, loneliness, sexual attraction, depression, and friendship in the shadow of a murder committed there. This demimonde is a strange place, as its habitués leave their ordinary lives behind, free from names, history, and relationships of the everyday world. But it's here that Franck (Pierre Deladonchamps) finds what he is looking for in the person of Michel (Christophe Paou), an attraction that is beyond reason, prudence, and evidence. The story seems to say there is a mystery about life and sex that can be shown, but not explained.

The film has a detached, almost clinical point of view, and does not cut away from full nudity or even graphic sex. Given its subject matter, the director, Alain Guiraudie, could hardly do otherwise. "Stranger by the Lake," or "L'inconnu du lak" in its original French, is beautifully made, intriguing, erotic, and fascinating. The film, not rated and subtitled in English, has appeared widely on the festival circuit, winning "Un Certain Regard" at Cannes for Guiraudie last year, and a Cesar, the French Oscar, for Deladonchamps for most promising new actor.