Teenage Wasteland
Isabelle is turning seventeen. She comes from a somewhat wealthy family. On her birthday, she decides it's time to lose her virginity to a German tourist she met on her summer vacation in the South of France. Back in Paris, Isabelle steps into a dangerous spiral when she decides to become an independent sex worker. François
Ozon tells her story during 4 seasons to the tune of 4 Françoise Hardy songs. The French director explores the teenage journey to self-indulgence. From typical fantasies to acting out, Ozon's movie is not a movie about prostitution. For me, Jeune & Jolie is a movie about adolescence and its complexity. I find the sex scenes to be artistically coherent to the plot and not just gratuitously titillating. Is there a more vulnerable time in one's life? The intricate relationship one has with their feelings and changing bodies, and what a teen is capable of doing out of boredom or just because they are looking for something they don't seem to find, are utterly common. The extreme acting out chosen by Isabelle is less typical though. Marine Vacht is a revelation who is able to give substance to the heroine's suffering and her conflicting emotions - and lack of emotion - without descending into cheap pathos. Jeune & Jolie examines a serious theme but keeps a certain lightness specific to Ozon's style.
No comments:
Post a Comment