Summary
15 years old, Suzanne goes out with boys, and sleeps with whoever she fancies, except
the boy who actually love her - despite objections from her parents and over-protective
brother. Then, one day, her father announces that he is going to leave home...
Review
This is a profoundly perceptive and believable film about a young girl’s troubled journey
into womanhood, in a crumbling and unsupportive family environment. Sandrine Bonnaire
is quite simply stunning as the emotionally confused Suzanne. The quality of her
performance, coupled with Paialat’s apparently improvised style of film making, gives
the film a sharp-edged, documentary feel, which heightens the emotional impact and drama.
Pialat’s style is a little unsettling to those who are not familiar with his work, bearing
more than a passing resemblance to the fresh, unpolished style of the French New Wave
directors of the early 1960s. To some extent, the film lacks structure and a coherent
narrative, and appears to grind to a halt on a few occasions. However,
the Pialat shows a genuine flair for capturing the raw emotions and revealing the distress
in an adolescent’s confused mind. For this approach to work at all, he is very reliant
on some great acting talent. In Sandrine Bonnaire, the director has just that, and
Pialat and Bonnaire form a very successful combination, emphasised by Pialat’s portrayal
of Suzanne’s father.
© James Travers 2001
|
