Young & Beautiful
| Young & Beautiful | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster of Young & Beautiful | |
| Directed by | François Ozon |
| Produced by |
Eric Altmayer Nicolas Altmayer |
| Written by | François Ozon |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Philippe Rombi |
| Cinematography | Pascal Marti |
| Editing by | Laure Gardette |
| Distributed by | Wild Bunch |
| Release dates |
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| Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
Young & Beautiful (French: Jeune & Jolie) is a 2013 independent French drama film directed by François Ozon and produced by Eric and Nicolas Altmayer. The film stars Marine Vacth in the leading role of Isabelle, a teenage prostitute, and features supporting performances by Charlotte Rampling, Géraldine Pailhas, and Frédéric Pierrot. The film was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, and received praise from the film critics.[1][2]
It was shown at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival.[3]
Plot
Isabelle is on summer holidays with her family in the in the south of France. She decides to lose her virginity to a German boy called Felix, but the experience leaves her cold.
By autumn she is exploring her sexuality further by working as a prostitute under the name Lea and meeting an older man called George, and various other clients. During one encounter with George he dies from a heart attack; Isabelle leaves the scene and quits prostitution. The police eventually track her down and reveal her secret life to her mother.
Cast
- Marine Vacth as Isabelle
- Charlotte Rampling as Alice
- Frédéric Pierrot as Patrick, Isabelle's stepfather
- Géraldine Pailhas as Sylvie, Isabelle's mother
- Nathalie Richard as Véro
- Akéla Sari as Mouna
- Lucas Prisor as Felix, a German tourist
- Fantin Ravat as Victor, Isabelle's brother
Reception
Upon its premiere at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, Young & Beautiful received critical acclaim. David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter praised Vacth's leading role and predicted that the film would "land her major exposure on the casting radar". While drawing comparisons to Ozon's 2012 film In the House Rooney wrote, "[U]nlike that playful Hitchcockian quasi-thriller, Young & Beautiful is both more carnal and more sober, suggesting the danger and fragility inherent in the central character’s experimentation while keeping the dramatic intensity subdued."[4] Leslie Felperin of Variety noted that the film was "a nuanced, emotionally temperate study of a precocious youth" and added that "its elegant execution will win warm regard [and the] subject matter should lure audiences at arthouses worldwide."[5]
Derek Malcolm of London Evening Standard wrote that Ozon was successful in "directing the slim and striking Vacth through a series of sex scenes, and also showing how the girl doesn’t really know what she is doing even when pretty experienced in the art of seduction."[6] While being appreciative of the film as a whole, Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian noted that the film was a "luxurious fantasy of a young girl's flowering: a very French and very male fantasy, like the pilot episode of the world's classiest soap opera."[7]
Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 82% based on reviews from 22 critics.[8]
Accolades
| Awards | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Award / Film Festival | Category | Recipients and nominees | Result | |
| Cannes Film Festival | Palme d'Or | François Ozon | Nominated | |
| San Sebastián International Film Festival[9] | TVE Otra Mirada Award | François Ozon | Won | |
Music
The film tells the story of takes place over the course of a year and is divided into four segments, each separated by a song by Françoise Hardy.
References
- ↑ "2013 Official Selection". Cannes Film Festival. 18 April 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
- ↑ "Screenings Guide" (PDF). Cannes Film Festival. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
- ↑ "Toronto film festival 2013: the full line-up". The Guardian. Retrieved 2013-07-24.
- ↑ Rooney, David (16 May 2013). "Young & Beautiful: Cannes Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
- ↑ Felperin, Leslie (16 May 2013). "'Young & Beautiful' Review". Variety. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
- ↑ Malcolm, Derek (16 May 2013). "Young & Beautiful, Cannes film festival - film review". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
- ↑ Bradshaw, Peter (16 May 2013). "Cannes 2013: Jeune et Jolie review". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
- ↑ https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/young_and_beautiful_2013/
- ↑ "Jeune et jolie". San Sebastián. 15 December 2013. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
External links
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