Written & Directed By: Francois Ozon
Cinematography: Pascal Marti
Editor: Laure Gardette
Cast: Marine Vacth, Geraldine Pailhas, Charlotte Rampling, Fredtic Pierrot, Fantin Ravat, Johan Laysen
After losing her virginity, Isabelle takes up a secret life as a call girl, meeting her clients for hotel-room trysts. Throughout, she remains curiously aloof, showing little interest in the encounters themselves or the money she makes.
This seems to be one of Francois Ozon most conventional films. While adding In his own touches of cinematic rebellion. As well as his usual sense of sex and sensuality. Here he is more up front about it. As most of the characters seem to be modelesque good looking. Which only adds to a more adult feeling soap opera melodrama.
Sometimes when you watch certain films that are more erotic. You wonder if it is more an erotic fantasy film more than a so called movie. As this is definitely an adult film that deals with sex and erotica, but it is also a film that exposes a kind of intimacy between people for money as each gets out of the transaction what they want and seek. Yet while sharing these moments that usually are supposed to be about love and attraction. Love is about the farthest thing for each. There might be pleasure but for the one hired that just seems to be something that happens. While the client is seeking purely that.
So in it’s own way this is a relationship movie of it’s own. That could easily be more of what one could consider an porno for it’s frank and graphic sexuality, but if you do choose to label it as that it is more a porno where the build up and drama is more on display. Where as in most porn the drama and relationships are secondary to the action. Their own kind of action films so to speak.
Marine Vacth is certainly a beauty to stare at as a screen goddess and to be fascinated by.
This film has action frequently but it goes by rather quickly. As the film Is more interested in characters and drama necessarily more than the action. Which it treats as a necessity to tell the tale fully. Even if it doesn’t feel that deep and comes off more rather melodramatically.
The film early sets the scene with a boy spying in his sister sunbathing nude and then watching her masturbate. Which kind of gives us a warning and preview of what to expect. As the young lady obviously is literally feeling herself and has a yearning for sex whirl also discovering her body. As she is just as curious and willing to have sex. Which challenges conventional movie presentation as we are usually presented with that type of behavior from a male Protagonist and their point of view.
Though the film challenges the audience by also indulging in the societal belief that if a female has sex and enjoys it somewhat she must be or become a whore to a degree. Only here literally does she become one.
Having an out of body experience watching herself lose her virginity. Seems to be the awakening for her. As she feels guilt and posits herself more as a willing victim. As it ends up not at all what it’s cracked up to be.
Her brother eventually wants to know about her losing her virginity, her father greeting her practically naked once she comes in late after the deed has been done. So that she and we are bombarded more with erotic overtones throughout.
The film takes place in different seasons. The first season is of her becoming older men’s fantasies. That seems to help her get the attention she craves and helps her to learn what she enjoys sexually as well as finding a sense of sexuality herself watching porn. As she learns to be a fantasy as well as learning titilations for herself. This is her beginning her growth.
The next season she or ripening as she gets used to her position. The season after that is kind of her downfall as she is discovered and by the last season we experience the aftermath.
The film While sexy and full of such erotica seems to go more for a certain Realism then exploitation. That one can see it being accused of mildly. Sure in my youth I would have loved the film. As this is that foreign film that young people fantasize about that has plenty of nudity and sex that we all thought was more natural in international films. That more then ever lived up to their titles. To be honest it wasn’t just foreign film it was art films. That usually you fast forwarded on vhs to get to the action. If they were on cable you kind of suffered through the art to get to the action, but sometimes that helped you learn appreciation for story and also got you more used to abstract. Teaching yourself something while going. For more pedestrian pleasures. This films ends up being more do interest for different reasons then it might have presented at first.
Grade: B-
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