La Désenchantée
1990 Drama / Romance
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Credits
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Summary
Beth is a 17 year old girl who lives with her sick mother, Thérèse, a former
prostitute, and her younger brother. Their only income is from one of Thérèse’s
former clients, whom she calls “Uncle”, and who offers to reward Beth if she chooses to
follow her mother’s example. Beth will have nothing to do with this, and instead
tries to look for the perfect boyfriend, quickly becoming disillusioned with what she
finds…
Review
This early film from Benoît Jacquot (now a highly rated French film director) is
a melancholic essay in teenage angst. Like many of Jacquot’s films, it is centred
around one character, an insecure and unloved young woman, Beth, who is trapped in a life
which has little to offer her.
Although the film is very attractively shot, it feels a little insubstantial and ambiguous. The film ends without offering any real suggestion where Beth’s future lies, and you are left with the impression that nothing definite has been said. In contrast to Jacquot’s latter films (for example, the similarly framed La fille seule), the audience is not able to form any attachment with the film’s main character, mainly because she reveals so little. © James Travers 2000 Write a review for this film... |
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