This is a typical French coming-of-age movie, which means it differs quite a bit from the Hollywood/American model. First off, like a lot of French movies it is indeed pretty slow at times. While Hollywood movies tend to sacrifice realism for heightened drama, French movies often do the opposite, which isn't necessarily always a bad thing. This movie, however, seems to follow the formula of the infamous contemporary coming-of-age movie "To My Sister" (aka "Fat Girl") by being realistic, albeit slow-going, for most of the running time, but then throwing in shock ending that is as melodramatic (and unbelievable) as anything Hollywood has to offer. The jaw-dropping ending of "To My Sister" might arguably have been a fantasy of the troubled female protagonist, but that isn't the case here, and this climax is indeed pretty borderline risible.French coming-of-age movies also tend to have much more nudity and somewhat more explicit sexuality than the Hollywood versions, even though the characters (and sometimes the actors) are a little shy of eighteen. This movie is no exception. Interestingly, the younger-looking character here was played by an actress (Karen Alyx ) who was actually in her early twenties, while the more developed-looking character was played by a 17-year-old Isild Lebesco (who even then had a body that would put any adult woman to shame). Both actresses do look kind of normal compared to your typical Hollywood prom queen types, but the much more voluptuous Lebesco has, not surprisingly, has gone on to a much longer career (Hollywood and France are certainly alike in that respect).It also seems to be a conceit in about every French coming-of-age movie that an adolescent female character will inevitably become involved with an older (in some cases, MUCH older) male. I'm not sure why this is, but I think it has less to do with reality than wish-fulfillment--unlike most Hollywood teen movies, French coming-of-age movies have a substantial adult--and, especially, adult male--audience that this no doubt caters too. Anyway,the basic plot of this movie involves a pair of long-time teenage friends, one of whom, "Gwen" is maturing physically and sexually much faster than her friend. So feeling left out, the other girl, , tries to seduce her friend's father with very disastrous results for all involved. As with "To My Sister", however, this movie was directed by a woman and is told entirely from the perspective of the two young female protagonists (and if this were really a male fantasy, it probably would have been the sexier-looking "Gwen" who was involved in the lolita-esque affair and this affair would probably would have been a lot more consummated than it is here).None of this is to say that this movie is necessarily bad, but it is certainly very typical of its kind.

Two French girlfriends await their annual get-together at the start of summer vacation. The film is constructed in three parts. It starts with the story of Gwen, a flirtatious and perky blonde. The focus then shifts to Lise, a dark-haired and depressed teen who has just lost her father. The two friends come together in the final part. It's not clear what the point of this movie is. There isn't much of a plot. As the two girls undergo mostly mundane experiences, it makes for rather uninteresting viewing. Something out of the ordinary does happen towards the end, but it is so bizarre that it seems to have been added just to have a big finish.

In the end of the twentieth Century, the teenage movie came back into vogue in the landscape of the French cinema, this movie made by Anne-Sophie Birot confirms it and reveals her own approach in the content and form about the difficult condition of being a teenager.By dividing her movie in 3 chapters, by delaying the meeting between the 2 main characters, Anne Sophie Birot takes the viewer by surprise. In the first 2 parts, the female director takes her time to draw the portrait of her 2 young interprets and to place them in their respective family circles before making them meet. Their families don't belong to the same social level but are eventually similar on one point: they're on the verge of disintegration. First, Gwen whose family background is very modest. She is lovely and by embarking on overnight love affairs, she knows her first sexual excitements. It's for her the sole way to escape from a tense familial cocoon between a lazy and alcoholic father and a mother who does her best to make ends meet. Now about Lise, the big house in which she lives makes us deduce that she belongs to an upper-class category whose climate is hardly better than to Gwen's. The death of her father plunged her whole family in bitterness and sorrow. Her mother, especially seems to break into pieces. So, to escape this dreary universe, Lise, secretly goes by coach to meet her long-time friend...As soon as the two friends are together for the holidays, the movie seems to go on, at first in this dreamy perspective. But bit by bit, disagreement grows, the tension that reigned in the two families has overwhelmed the two friends. As a result, there's a detachment and a distance from Lise. Anne Sophie Birot proceeds by little touches and with subtlety to let suggest the reasons of this split. Very simply, Lise is jealous of Gwen's beauty. It is the time of first teenage loves. Gwen is pretty, slender and has no trouble seducing boys whereas Lise due to her little attractive physical appearance is completely eclipsed by her friend when it comes to seduction. So, rancor, jealousy even betrayal suffer into her which lead her to nearly separation with her all time confidant and the director isn't afraid to end her work with an abrupt ending which tips it out in blackness making the viewer feel unwell.Once again, here's a movie which has the merit to show that it is not an easy thing to be in one's teenage years. Furthermore, real love seems to be omitted from the work. For example, Gwen seems to have love affairs with several boys, but it's more a means to assert herself to go away from a ponderous household . And the female director is buoyed up by her two young interprets whose roles seem to fit them like a glove. For the rest, I will retain this irregularity. According to Gwen, Lise is a brilliant student but in the beginning of the film, we learn that she failed at her GCSE. She handed in a blank sheet of paper but we don't know much about what might have explained her behavior. It would have been wiser and more consistent to make her pass her exam so as to solidify her personality and to better prepare the sequel.

This movie was doing so well. But the ending just killed it dead.Basically the story is about these two teenage girls that are summer friends. But the summer the movie takes place in, the one girl Lise can't make it cause of family issues. Or money or something like that. The other girl, Gwen's parents are also having family issues. Money and the such. Her dad is lazy, blah blah blah. during this summer apart Gwen is growing up, getting with boys, smoking, etc, etc. Everything to this point is fine and dandy. I was enjoying the build of the characters and I like how European films are so much more open then American films. But in anycase all that is ruined by the stupid and pointless ending.(Spoiler alert!!) Lise finally makes it down to the beach house to stay with Gwen. All is well with the world for about 10 minutes. Then Gwen and her boyfriend are having sex with Lise in the room, so Lise trys to join in. It is implied a lot during the movie that this friendship IS deeper or can be deeper then just two friends. But at this point you see that Gwen is not interested. She slaps Lise, and the movie losses all sense from that point on. Not because Gwen is upset, but where the filmmakers go from there. They fight, they hate each other, Gwen wants Lise to leave. And instead of just having her leave, or even having them talk about it, they decide to go and have Lise start making out with Gwen's dad(why in every movie about teenage girls do the dads and older men all have to be sexual demons)Gwen's dad is into it until he gets her top off and realizes he shouldn't be doing this.("OHHH, now you realize it, moron") Lise is upset, and does what ever 15 year old girl does when she gets rejected by her best friends dad. She pushes him down the stairs and kills him. Then Gwen comes home finds the body, and Lise runs away. Credits role. I have no idea what the point of that ending was. What they were trying to say. But it killed a pretty good and open effort on the lives of two teenage girls. Far more open and realistic then most Hollywood fodder. But that ending was just so stupid.