Jeune & jolie

Le chatouillement inoffensif du spectateur, thème éternellement gratifiant. Les femmes, Ozon les comprend. Et il les aime plus que Trier. C’est ainsi que son film aborde le ressenti d'une jeune fille de dix-sept ans, ivre de ses premiers contacts avec les affaires adultes. Une ado de dix-sept ans curieuse de se découvrir à travers les services à des hommes qui la recrutent pour son corps, curieuse de ce que cela implique dans l'obscurité d'une chambre d'hôtel ou sur les sièges en cuir à l’arrière d’une voiture. Pour reprendre les mots de Charlotte Rampling, toutes les filles essayeraient si elles en avaient le courage. Pas par manque d’estime de soi, mais par courage… La seule scène émotionnelle du film est la dispute avec sa mère en pleurs : « Tu m'as brisé le cœur ! » (09/12/2013)

Un film puissant avec un humour étonnamment efficace et d'excellents acteurs. Ozon sait vraiment y faire. La qualité du film est principalement due à l'harmonie entre un bon scénario et une bonne réalisation, d'excellents acteurs et l'équilibre réussi entre drame sérieux et moments humoristiques. (06/07/2013)

Mon cher Ozon m’a encore une fois délecté et m'a plongé de plain-pied dans la mélancolie. Parce que de mélancolie, Jeune & jolie en est totalement enveloppé. Aussi, le seul choix possible pour l’accompagnement musical était Françoise Hardy et ses chansons introspectives. Bon nombre de scènes pourraient être transposées en tableaux pour capturer la beauté éphémère du moment. Marine Vacth est absolument superbe et son personnage confirme parfaitement l’adage populaire et éculé comme quoi les jolies femmes n’ont pas la vie aussi facile que se l’imagine leur entourage. (15/08/2015)

A plan that you either endorse or... Or not. The heroine/tramp who looks like a clone of Julia Roberts, only years younger, remains impenetrable, as far as her motives are concerned, for the entire picture, so it’s up to the viewer what they think of her. She is a mirror that says more about you than about her. Theoretically at least, if you play Ozon’s game. I played Ozon’s game, but didn’t finish it, because in the end it is less refined than I expected from him and it comes across more intentionally superficial than natural. (20/01/2014)

You have to admit that Marine Vacth is charming and exudes a "decently provocative" sexuality, and she could instantly become one of the classic Bond girls from the past. Marine works as a model, as she knows how to pose and present herself well. Unlike other models, she is undoubtedly capable of delivering some acting performance, albeit limited. She simply doesn't look like the new Marion Cotillard. These types of girls are often heavily utilized in film in their youth and usually disappear from the screen at a certain age... As for the film itself - it is strange that I want to write again about Marine's sensuality... Ozon is undoubtedly a professional, but this film is not among his best pieces. It is unfinished, superficial, and psychologically implausible. A comparison with thematically related Belle de Jour by Buñuel logically suggests itself, but Buñuel clearly had something else in mind and his film was more thought-provoking, while Young & Beautiful perhaps only tempts masturbation... Ozon evidently aimed to provoke viewers with the theme of an underage prostitute from a respectable middle-class family. In France, as well as anywhere else in Western Europe, prostitution at a lower level is usually practiced by drug addicts and other "lowlifes," while at the higher level, it is composed of emigrants who cannot afford to lose their social prestige. A girl from a better family will damn well reconsider risking the loss of moral integrity, which could have a devastating impact on her professional career and current and future family. Isabelle doesn't offend me, but I also don't make excuses for her and her behavior, and I don't seek complex meanings where there most likely aren't any. Of course, you can endlessly debate the torn inner soul of a girl and talk about a deep dive into the female psyche, but I, on the other hand, see a bored Euro-brat, well materially provided for, who never knew real problems thanks to her family background, and consequently, responsibility... Considering Marine's physique, I remain at three stars, but without any enthusiasm. Overall impression: 50%. (03/12/2013)