Fat Girl (A Ma Soeur!) is a French film from Catherine Breillat. I've never seen another one of her films but apparently sexuality is a recurrent theme in her work. This particular film is about two young sisters, a 12 year-old "fat girl" and her 15 year-old "beauty" of a sister. It takes place while their family is on vacation and essentially captures the beginning of the older sister's sexuality and her little sister's view of it.
I don't think it's very good.
A friend of mine rented this as it caught his interest on various Criterion lists, and he got quite excited about it. After his reaction, I grabbed it and was quite disappointed. I only had a brief conversation about it with him but I can tell we are going to be having quite a debate on it, since he seems quite enamored with the film and I get more disgusted with it as I think about it.
Much of the film's running time is devoted to Douche-Bag Guy: The Movie as the college age fellow woos and attempts to bed the pretty sister. Filling in this dance are intermittent conversations between the sisters, each pretty clearly and repeatedly stating their views on sexuality.
The older sister is a pretty typical pre-slut slut (I have no ass behind that statement, but that's what she seems to represent), she likes to flirt with the guys and leans towards whoreishness, but hasn't really dove in yet. The younger girl - and this is where the core flaw of the movie kicks in - spouts a sexual philosophy that is so over-developed and jaded that, well.... it makes no sense for an overweight twelve-year-old to have any concept of, much less believe. The cold logic and cynicism the younger sister displays could only be the result of years of jading experiences. The director wears her sexual prejudices on her sleeve through this character that, despite being portrayed as some sort of sexual prophet, is just too fucking young to be a vessel for these ideas.
The movie is short, and after the pretty sister and the college boy's inevitable storyline play out, the movie sputters into a vapid and ridiculous finale. We exchange character drama for strange thriller-type tension, as impending doom - for no real reason - becomes the driving conceit. All this culminates into an ending that tops another frenchified flick, High Tension, for nearly movie-ruining stupidity. I won't bust the ending for anyone who might want to take a look but in the most eloquent terms I can muster, it's fucking retarded. Purely heavy-handed symbolism forced down the viewers throat with out of place shock and spectacle.
I must admit, my sexual politics obviously differ from Ms. Breillat's and that could taint my ability to look at the film objectively. That being said, I don't think my coming from a different place than her necessarily precludes me enjoying or appreciating her film. Unfortunately, like so many who make films thick with contrarian personal politics, she attempts to make her point with sharpish dialogue and calculated events, rather than just presenting the ideas in a reality-based context that would bolster her view on the world. Thinking about it, Fat Girl is kind of like a Crash for sexuality (hmm...) instead of racism.
I do want to mention that the acting is superb. From Anaïs Reboux's tragic performance as the "fat girl," to Libero De Rienzo's pretty thorough portrayal of Douche-Bag McCreepyandfucksyounggirlsinson - everyone does great. This is often in spite of dialogue that just doesn't work, or directing that neglects fantastic performance.
So yeah.... Fat Girl..... my friend is fucking wrong.
Anyone else seen this and care to comment?
I don't think it's very good.
A friend of mine rented this as it caught his interest on various Criterion lists, and he got quite excited about it. After his reaction, I grabbed it and was quite disappointed. I only had a brief conversation about it with him but I can tell we are going to be having quite a debate on it, since he seems quite enamored with the film and I get more disgusted with it as I think about it.
Much of the film's running time is devoted to Douche-Bag Guy: The Movie as the college age fellow woos and attempts to bed the pretty sister. Filling in this dance are intermittent conversations between the sisters, each pretty clearly and repeatedly stating their views on sexuality.
The older sister is a pretty typical pre-slut slut (I have no ass behind that statement, but that's what she seems to represent), she likes to flirt with the guys and leans towards whoreishness, but hasn't really dove in yet. The younger girl - and this is where the core flaw of the movie kicks in - spouts a sexual philosophy that is so over-developed and jaded that, well.... it makes no sense for an overweight twelve-year-old to have any concept of, much less believe. The cold logic and cynicism the younger sister displays could only be the result of years of jading experiences. The director wears her sexual prejudices on her sleeve through this character that, despite being portrayed as some sort of sexual prophet, is just too fucking young to be a vessel for these ideas.
The movie is short, and after the pretty sister and the college boy's inevitable storyline play out, the movie sputters into a vapid and ridiculous finale. We exchange character drama for strange thriller-type tension, as impending doom - for no real reason - becomes the driving conceit. All this culminates into an ending that tops another frenchified flick, High Tension, for nearly movie-ruining stupidity. I won't bust the ending for anyone who might want to take a look but in the most eloquent terms I can muster, it's fucking retarded. Purely heavy-handed symbolism forced down the viewers throat with out of place shock and spectacle.
I must admit, my sexual politics obviously differ from Ms. Breillat's and that could taint my ability to look at the film objectively. That being said, I don't think my coming from a different place than her necessarily precludes me enjoying or appreciating her film. Unfortunately, like so many who make films thick with contrarian personal politics, she attempts to make her point with sharpish dialogue and calculated events, rather than just presenting the ideas in a reality-based context that would bolster her view on the world. Thinking about it, Fat Girl is kind of like a Crash for sexuality (hmm...) instead of racism.
I do want to mention that the acting is superb. From Anaïs Reboux's tragic performance as the "fat girl," to Libero De Rienzo's pretty thorough portrayal of Douche-Bag McCreepyandfucksyounggirlsinson - everyone does great. This is often in spite of dialogue that just doesn't work, or directing that neglects fantastic performance.
So yeah.... Fat Girl..... my friend is fucking wrong.
Anyone else seen this and care to comment?
