5/13/13

Youth

Here's where I make some enemies. In my opinion, this 2013 Seattle International Film Festival entry from France (English captions) contains a "Worst so far..." (WSF) performance.

The story itself is mildly interesting and we can't help but wonder at some parallels with real life. Louis Malle's daughter Justine both wrote and directed this introspective about a daughter just entering her young adulthood when her father is diagnosed with a fatal disease. (Malle died of lymphoma when Justine was 21.) I have no problem with that at all. But I DID recoil from some of the acting.

Let's talk about it:
  • Esther Garrel ("Camille Rewinds") is Juliette, the young woman eager to lose her virginity. This actress has been working for over a decade. Do you suppose it was the direction? I haven't seen such fake weeping since our backyard attempts to "put on a show!" She wins "Worst so far."
  • Didier Bezace ("The Minister") is her father who has children by three different women, none of whom seem the least bit upset by that fact. His decline is shockingly fast.
  • Émile Bertherat ("LOL") as Benjamin is our heroine's first nominee for the honor of deflowering her. He thinks she's moving a bit fast.
There is no rating to offer; I'd say it's a mild PG-13, simply because she is pretty frank about what she wants.
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Here is a link to a preview:
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