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Anaïs Reboux,
Anaïs Reboux,
Roxane Mesquida,
more...
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Catherine Breillat,
Catherine Breillat
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: Criterion
: Drama, Foreign, France, Coming of Age , Criterion Collection
: 86 min.
: French
: English
see additional details...
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Director Catherine Breillat, who courted international controversy with her film Romance, once again pushed the envelope with this disturbing (if somewhat less explicit) look at adolescent sexuality. Anaïs (Anaïs Reboux) is a 12-year-old girl with a weight problem and a downbeat disposition growing up in a family which offers her little in the way of understanding and affection. Anaïs has a typically adolescent love/hate relationship with her slimmer and prettier 15-year-old sister, Elena (Roxane Mesquida); she's at once fascinated by her sister (and the boys who follow her around), and hates her for the love and attention she receives from others. While the family spends the summer at the beach, Elena attracts the attentions of Fernando (Libero de Rienzo), a college student from Italy who makes no secret of his attraction to Elena's budding sexuality. Anaïs, on the other hand, is forced to make do with a sad game in which she pretends that a ladder and a diving board at a neighborhood swimming pool are two suitors vying for her affections. Anaïs shares a room with Elena, and finds herself a fascinated, if troubled, witness as Fernando uses both charm and deceit to rob her sister of her virginity, while Elena is too naïve to see through the lies Fernando is spinning -- and enjoys having Anaïs as an audience for her steadily advancing sex play with Fernando. Anaïs is more aware than her older sister of Fernando's insincerity, but she finds Elena isn't eager to believe her. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Special Features:
- The making of FAT GIRL, compiled from behind-the-scenes footage
- Original French and U.S. theatrical trailers
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| Disappointing
by PSherlock
January 6, 2008 - 7:06 PM PST
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1 out of 1 members found this review helpful
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I thought I'd see a film about the interior life of a "fat girl" (FG) judging from the cover. Strangely enough, this part of the story wasn't developed. Actually the filmmaker almost spent more time on the dialogue between the hot sister and the Italian guy who wanted to bonk her, which was pretty dull, to say the least. And at least half the movie is glued on the hot sister, who's not that interesting. I kept thinking it was going to turn to what made FG tick. Unfortunately this was not to be. The other characters in the movie, being the parents, were one-dimensional and flat also. And to make matters worse it has a very, very clumsy "over the top" ending that was supposed to be intense I guess. Really, why does it seem so many French filmmakers must operate only on levels 8, 9 and 10. They could learn a few things from the Japanese about pacing and latitude.
This film could have been good in the right hands of an able director. Although not a bad film, not up to Criterion standards. |
| On the whole, I like Catherine Breillat's films.
by johnnyclock
December 18, 2004 - 10:25 AM PST
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3 out of 3 members found this review helpful
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Catherine Breillat is working in a space that is all her own. Her films are original and worth seeing.
The ending of this particular one bothered me, though, because I don't think it arose out of anything inherent in the plot or characters. It seemed just stuck on. Other than that, it is -- as are most of Ms Breillat's films -- an original look at the first sexual experiences of young women, in this case of two sisters, aged about thirteen and fifteen |
| Sibling Rivalry
by talltale
November 22, 2004 - 8:27 PM PST
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2 out of 3 members found this review helpful
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| As a big fan of the films of Catherine Breillat ("Romance," "Brief Crossing"), I expected to be bowled over by FAT GIRL. Hmmm... Not. Moment to moment, this one is often as good as her best, but it careens off the track with the out-of-nowhere, arbitrary climax. I'll remember the superb (and very brave) performance from the actress who essays the title role, as well as those from the other leads. As usual, it's bracing to see a man having sex with his equipment at the ready. But I expect more from a first-rate artist, Catherine. MORE! (Perhaps her newer "Sex is Comedy," supposedly based around the filming of "Fat Girl" will provide this.) |
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GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 6.46)
152 Votes
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| New French Extremity |
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| Predominately films that would be classified as 'horror' with a few notable exceptions. Many films get lumped into this catagory because the director has made films considered "transgressive". |
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