I suspect that most people who would watch this very low budget film might consider it simply awful. Some will consider it pornographic for the fairly explicit sexual scenes in the first part of the film. Others may consider it depressing (it is but not without a ray of hope) and/or self-indulgent.

However if, like me, films dealing with the dark side, "Leaving Las Vegas" for example, resonate with you you may enjoy this as it is a film that explores the emptiness, alienation and loneliness of life in our time.

Personally I felt a sense of empathy for the characters and liked it quite a lot. I recommend it to like-minded viewers.

"Nuit #1" (2011 release from Canada; 91 min., English title "Night #1") brings the story of Clara and Nikolai. As the movie opens, we see them dancing away, as if in a trance, at a rave party, bouncing up and down the floor, all in slow motion. We then jump forward to them arriving at Nikolai's apartment, where they have passionate sex. Later on, Clara gets ready to leave, but at the last minute Nikolai hears her leave and calls her back. The two start talking... At this point we're 15 min. into the movie, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this is the feature length debut from Canadian writer-director Anne Emond. Here, she tackles a bunch of topics, most importantly the loneliness and sense of being adrift of two young people (although the Nikolai character is 31, so not that young anymore). At one point Clara sighs "I want to cry but there are no tears in me", wow. As the title implies, this is, literally, the first night (#1) but to me it also implies between the lines that it is not the last night, although we don't know this of course. my point is: don't call this "the one-night stand movie" as that belittles what this movie is really about. As other have commented, the movie gets better as we get deeper into it, and the last half hour, when we finally hear the perspectives and thoughts of Clara, the movie is at its best. Kudos to the two lead performers, Catherine de Léan as Clara and Dimitri Storoge as Nikolai, who brings us fearless performances. This movie was up for a number of awards, including the Canadian equivalent of the Oscars in 2012. Certainly, this is not for everyone. There is a fair amount of nudity, in particular in the first 15 minutes, so if that offends or bothers you, please check out another movie. Much of the movie takes place in Nikolai's apartment, and in that sense this is pretty much like a filmed theater play, so if that is something that may bother you, please stay away from this.

I stumbled upon this when browsing in the foreign movie section at my local library, and took a flyer on this. I'm glad I did, and I will seek out other movies from director Anne Emond. Worth checking out for fans of "all talk, no action" foreign language films.

Much more a short story than a novel, but Nuit #1 has some very powerful moments, especially during the latter half so stick with it (it takes a good 20-30 minutes to truly establish itself). Well acted and shot, with some good music here and there. Deep, frank monologues dominate, sometimes reminiscent of Rohmer, yet the subject matter more often recalls the themes of Michael Winterbottom (i.e. drugs, sex, music, the outsider, despair, etc...). Definitely worth seeing if you like either of these fine directors. Bravo to all involved in this film, esp. Anne Emond and Catherine de Lean. Similar films: Candy and Morvern Callar.

First of all it's hard to call this motion-picture film a movie (in general meaning of this word) with a storyline and some action on the screen. It is rather a stage play based TV play (similar to "Sunset Limited") than a cinema movie. But this is not the point for real judges of chamber pieces and the art of acting. "Night #1" is an emotional and serious minded film at once. And the love scene (though it plays its role) an the beginning is nothing comparing with much harder and frank talks throughout the film. They are two, each of them is at the bottom of society and lowlife, furthermore, they both know about it. But their characters contain and reflect not only tough things but many other elements of modern life and state of things in the real world. Closer to the end some dramatic monologues have a very depressing tone, culminating some concepts and problems. I didn't understand the film's ending - what exactly the author wanted to say or to show. Maybe that the first night can be the second chance or that strangers and randoms can also be happy together?

I recently saw this at the 2012 Palm Springs International Film festival where writer/director Anne Émond was on hand at my screening for a Q&A following the film. Clara (Catherine de Léan) and Nikolai (Dimitri Storoge) go to Nikolai's apartment after meeting at a rave club for a one-nighter. Strangers to each other but each, no stranger to late night sexual romps with people they have just met. This film plays out like a three act stage play with the passionate sex as act one, his story as act two and her story as act three. They open up to each other in frank tell-all discussions about themselves and their thoughts and views on life and love. Mathieu Laverdière skillfully works the camera shots as cinematographer capturing the angst and disregard of the actors in tight and shots and confined spaces. Mathieu Bochard edits. The role of Clara as an elementary school teacher by day and cruising the city bars by night for multiple sex partners in one night stands is reminiscent of the 70's film Looking For Mr. Goodbar, although Émond has never seen that film. Clara ultimately gets audience sympathy as a lost girl trying to get back on the right path bu Nikolai has little hope in his future. Some great acting by these two veteran Canadian television actors with lots of dialog. I would give this film an 8.5 and recommend it. There is no violence but there is a lot of sex and sexual language that may offend some. An excellent debut feature film from a short film director.

This movie was very engaging. It focuses on the dialogue between two people. It is very intelligent, shot well with a great script. The music helps to tie everything together. I think it would be a great date night film with your significant other. This movie also proves that a film does not need to have a big budget and lots of special effects to work. This one works great with limited resources and it still seems to work. The whole theater was impressed and so was I. Check it out on a rainy night when you and your partner are looking for something to watch that isn't too engaging but yet tells a beautiful story.

I saved this movie on my Netflix's list for so long, and I could never bring myself to view it because it's an indy and all, and with all indies, it's hit or miss. Then, for no reason, I turned it on and couldn't stop. Okay, the first 15 minutes were just steamy sex. Thereafter, the movie settled down to serious stuff.

This movie affected me in strange ways. I am much older than this couple, yet I marveled at their life experience. It is the helplessness and hopelessness and carelessness of youth. I was once their age, but I was never come close to doing any of the things they had done. My life was typical, almost too boring to bear.

This is a low-budget film, but very thoughtfully made and well-acted. A young man and a young man meet on a dance floor, and end up in his apartment to have sex the same night. After that transpires, the "now what?" is very revealing.

This is the story of two "lost" souls, both searching for a meaning, but living each day in a haze of drugs, sex and alcohol, yet finding hopelessness wherever they turn. Long after they should have known better, they continue to exist in this warp of self-destructive behavior. In the end, you are left with a feeling of emptiness for this couple, yet you think that it might all work out.

The ending doesn't really neatly tie up things. Good thing that it doesn't. They will continue to struggle, but it seems two lost souls found one another.

Clara and Nikolai meet at a rave. They go home together. They have sex.

She cannot sleep, takes a bath, then leaves. He calls her back before she's out the door.

They talk, endlessly, in long, pointless, low-energy monologues. Then they talk some more. The problem is, their lives are flat, failed, undistinguished, prosaic: the lives of two slacker drug users who cannot engage life. Who cares? Self-loathing is just not appealing.

------Scores------

Cinematography: 7/10 Fairly good for the difficult low light conditions often chosen by the director. When there was sufficient light, the visuals were rather good.

Sound: 5/10 OK, though nothing great.

Acting: 4/10 Meh. Any high school drama student could have swapped in for either of the principals.

Screenplay: 4/10 Plain, boring, non-engaging. The script is not clever enough to make one care about the characters, who are about as engaging as lichen on rocks. Write an essay, get it published, get it out of your system, but don't make a film about it, especially one this bad.

If you enjoy watching two clinically depressed, alienated people whine and endlessly process their situations in life, you'll like this film. They don't even seem to enjoy the sex they engage in which is a major early scene. The sex does seem to fit into the film organically to a degree although it's not all that interesting itself.

In an alternative script I can imagine both characters would do well to get some psychotherapy/drugs and then make a stab at actually doing something about the situations they hate. That's never easy but I'll bet it would beat moping, dancing drunk and stoned in raves, having serial sex with strangers, getting repeatedly fired from work, etc. But then that wouldn't be an emo film about feeling alienated and depressed.

I gave the film 3/10 because the acting was pretty good; so was the cinematography.