Girlhood (2014) (French Language)

Review

113min

Genre:    Drama

Director: Céline Sciamma

Cast:      Karidja Touré, Assa Sylla, Cyril Mendy…and more

Writer:   Céline Sciamma

With a bleak future ahead a teenage African immigrant girl living in the suburban “Ghettos” outside of Paris finds solace and belonging within a group of tough-talking teenagers, life seems better for “Vic” in her new gang but the grass is not always greener and when things take a downward spiral she will need all of her hardheadedness and determination to survive.

In a highly original take on an established predominantly male sub-genre, director Céline Sciamma brings a female sensibility to the ubiquitous teenage “coming-of-age” story without descending into romanticism and sentimentality, ‘Girlhood’ is billed as a gritty story of growing up as a minority in modern France and a character study on those who do so.

The reality however is quite different, it looks like Sciamma was going for a mix of something like Richard Linklater’s measured award-winning Drama ‘Boyhood’ with Mathieu Kassovitz’s raging French “Ghetto” classic ‘La Haine’, ‘Girlhood’ however sits meekly somewhere in between lacking what it takes to be as effective and memorable as either.

The film consistently pulls its cinematic punches when it comes to the reality of teenage inner city living, from the whitewashed dialogue featuring language that anyone who rides the Paris Metro or RER at night will know is inaccurate, to the distinctly tame nature of the way that scenes of sexuality, substance abuse and violence are handled.

Featuring a largely amateur cast for the sake of naturalism and authenticity has actually resulted in a lack of intensity and the hubris of youth when it comes to the lead performances.

Rather than an interesting character piece and study on the complexities of deprivation, race and discrimination in modern European society, ‘Girlhood’ feels like a rather pedestrian drama that for all its perceived realism is actually highly stylized, look no further than the endless Nicolas Winding Refn-style Synthpop mood sequences featured at the drop of a dramatic hat.

The Bottom Line…

Deserving of brownie points for its feminine spin on an established sub-genre and the courage to use largely amateur actors, ‘Girlhood’ is ultimately a pedestrian drama that feels like a missed opportunity and which does not rank highly on the list of French “Ghetto” dramas or recent French cinema in general.

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Similar films you may like (Home Video)

La Haine (1995)

In the “Ghettos” on the outskirts of Paris a group of young friends, fueled by anger towards social injustice and police brutality, find a Cop’s gun and contemplate revenge while going about their daily aimless lives and getting into trouble on their own streets and in the big city itself, La Haine is a gritty French Urban drama and modern classic from acclaimed actor/director Mathieu Kassovitz.

Directed by Mathieu Kassovitz and starring Vincent Cassel, Hubert Koundé and Saïd Taghmaoui among others.

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