After “The Great Gatsby” came out last year, I found myself frequently associating the words “young” and “beautiful” with Lana Del Rey’s renowned single in addition to Gatsby and Daisy’s love story. When I sat down in the theater to watch François Ozon’s “Young and Beautiful” (“Jeune et Jolie”), I was finally able to look past the song to see and understand Isabelle’s (Marine Vacth) compelling and artfully-told coming-of-age story during her time of exploration and independence.
All in French with English subtitles included, this film is divided into four different time periods over the course of a year. It features Isabelle, a girl who starts as an innocent, fair-colored sixteen-year-old with brown hair and a soft smile; however, after losing her virginity to her summer fling (Lucas Prisor), Isabelle returns to Paris and begins working as a prostitute. Her family later learns about her prostitution, and conflict drives division within her home. Her mother (Geraldine Pailhas) drags Isabelle to a therapist while her brother (Fantin Ravat) is left with his stepfather (Frederic Pierrot) as he tries navigating his way through puberty.
Despite this tension, it is clear that Isabelle’s family has a close-knit dynamic. There’s a lighthearted pleasure in their family meals while they poke fun at one another and freely speak their minds. Isabelle even feels comfortable enough to tell her brother that she has lost her virginity by simply saying, “It’s done.” Their unity is pretty clear. However, Ozon may take the portrayal of a close family a step too far when we see Isabelle run into her stepfather after getting back into the house one night; she finds him naked from head to toe by the stairs, showing complete and total indifference.
Amidst Isabelle’s provocative journey, Ozon brings French culture to life on the screen, right in the middle of Paris, the beautiful and historical city of love. Each chapter of Isabelle’s year ends with music from the 1960s and 70s French pop-star, Franciose Hardy, in addition to subtle pieces of French café music that appear throughout the film. Ozon also captures a powerful moment at Pont de l’Archevêché on a cloudy and overcast day. It is at the love-lock bridge, and Isabelle is seen there intimately kissing a boy as she toys with the possibility of a true romantic affair.
All in all, “Young and Beautiful” is a great film. Even though it is difficult to relate to a girl who turns to prostitution at the age of sixteen, Vacth’s compelling performance draws you in. In addition, Ozon’s dialogue and aesthetics capture and elicit the many questions that are raised when a young, innocent girl reaches the time in her life where she begins her transition into adulthood and has to start making choices for herself.
Grade: A- Rating: Unrated Running Time: 95 minutes See if You Liked: "In Bloom"
