One thing you really have to admire the
French for is tricking its audiences into believing that the softcore
porn they're watching is actually an art house film. Take “Farewell,
My Queen,” which appeared
non-exploitative even while tossing in a lesbian romance that
apparently wasn't even in the book it was based on. So I
certainly have to tip my hat for almost making “Young And
Beautiful” look like anything other than what it is: a male fantasy
which is a mere money shot away from any run-of-the-mill Internet
smut.
The title is very apt, however. The
girl, Isabelle, (the very talented Marine Vacth) is certainly young,
only seventeen. And she is certainly, almost impossibly beautiful.
So beautiful it almost seems
natural that she would want to profit from it. When we first meet
her, we see more of her than we expected (in the first two minutes
anyway). Indeed, the film quickly forces its audience to become
voyeurs, since she is framed through an onlooker's binoculars, making
us vicarious spies as she removes her top to sunbathe. Plus, the
person who was spying on her? That was her little brother, who also
peeks in when she happens to be, um, pleasuring herself. Soon, we
see her lose her virginity to a boy she's not even particularly fond
of, which leaves her cold and disillusioned. When she returns home,
she also accidentally sees her stepfather naked. It all seems like a
bit much.
Since “Young And Beautiful” aims to
show, not tell, the character development will be a bit light, but it
shouldn't be so nearly
nonexistent. Right after Isabelle loses her virginity and leaves her
family's charming vacation spot, we next see her heading to a motel
room for her first paid tryst. So yeah, this girl just decides to
become a prostitute, and we don't see when she made the decision, how
she got the idea, or why she decided to take such an extreme step.
To the film's credit, she's not depicted as sick or suffering from
daddy issues, and she's still a somewhat inept 17-year-old even when
she gets some experience under her belt.
And you wonder why conservatives are so
afraid of the French. Heck,
after seeing this, I'm almost afraid of the French.
But the beautiful thing about these
types of French films is that they simultaneously take sex so
seriously and so casually that it makes us forget our hysteria over
an act that is as much a part of our lives
as breathing. But by placing so much emphasis on the act and on
Isabelle's outer rather than inner life holds “Young And Beautiful”
from becoming the
thoughtful, intelligent film it was
obviously meant to be. Instead, you'll be baffled when that
little brother mentioned above helps her with her makeup,
and sleeps in her bed so he can press her for details about
her date. Also, will she ever stop pouting and smile? And smirking
doesn't count!
Writer-director
François Ozon previously explored illicit, unsettling
desire in a previous film, and another Milwaukee Film Festival alum,
“In The House.” But “Young And Beautiful” left me feeling
confused about what he was trying to accomplish. When Isabelle
eventually does get discovered and has to face the consequences of
her choices, even that isn't
depicted well. How is it, exactly, that only her parents and a few
of their friends find out, while no one at her school does? That
seems far-fetched, especially in our new digital age, where a single
remark can quickly spread to thousands or millions of people via
social media. The intentions are good, even fascinating, but they
don't even come close to being fulfilled.
Grade: D
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