FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW: JEUNE FEMME (YOUNG WOMAN)


5/10

 Paula Simonian is a thirty something vagabond who has just returned to Paris and has never quite realized that no one is waiting for her. Her boyfriend wants to break up, her estranged mother doesn’t want anything to do with her and she has no friends she can go to. Lost in Paris, with little money and a cat in a carton box, what does the future has in store for Paula?
JEUNE FEMME is an interesting character study. While the plot is blurry and the borderline documentary style cinematography  is designed to makes us believe we are dealing with the realities of everyday life, many coincidences of the plot are hard to swallow. The only thing that holds it all together is Leatitia Dosch as Paula. With her ability to look very plain or extremely beautiful depending on the lighting and the situation she commands the screen and is impossible to takes one’s eyes off.
For an hour and a half movie JEUNE FEMME has very little happening, but with every passing minute the chaotic life of Paula seems less appealing, just like her character.
First time director Leonor Serraille has managed to create an interesting portrait of a modern young adult, having her wandering in Paris and making new friends. It would have made an interesting short film. As for a feature length movie, a good performance in a weak plot can barely hold it all together. Utterly frustrating as a debut, it still hits the mark in the acting department and it will be interesting to see what Leonor Serraille will do next time with a more comprehensive script at hand. 

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