208. Jeune Femme; movie review

JEUNE FEMME
Cert 15
98 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong language, sexual threat

Are so many young women conflicted nowadays? Or is it just on TV and film that characters make life more complicated than it is.
Laetitia Dosch's title character is so near the edge in the opening scenes of this movie that the authorities are on the cusp of locking her up for her own benefit.
It transpires that Paula, the aforementioned jeune femme, has devoted her life to an older boyfriend and is distraught at their separation.
From the outside, her attempts to lure him back are hysterical and hopeless and she piles on bad decision after bad decision.
And yet, having witnessed some of Miss W's friends and, dare I say younger work colleagues struggle with life, I have to say that Paula is plausible.
It vexed me that she has a sense of entitlement which is in common with many young people nowadays.
She also seems to thinks that life's unwritten or even written rules do not apply to her. This is particularly obvious when she sets about trying to get a job.
However, very gradually, from the rubble of her relationship, she begins to realise that her destiny is in her own hands.
I suspect that Jeune Femme will resonate with younger people, particularly those who have suffered denial or even trauma after the end of long-term relationships.
But, being something of a straight-talking traditionalist, I couldn't help thinking that Paula was too needy and behaved most appallingly to those trying to help her.
I also struggle to understand those who can lie as easily as they can blink.
Fortunately, there are eventually positives to weigh against Paula's negatives and that just about makes Léonor Serraille's film palatable.

Reasons to watch: The convincing performance of Laetitia Dosch
Reasons to avoid: I am afraid Paula is pretty irritating for the most part

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: Yes
Nudity: Yes
Overall rating: 6/10

Director quote - Léonor Serraille: "When I was writing the film I was asking myself, ‘What is it to be a woman today?’ If a man bangs his head against a door in a film he’s seen as virile. But if a woman does it she’s a hysteric.”

The big question - How do so many people pick the wrong partner?

Share this post