A Real Young Girl Movie Review

Catherine Breillat didn't just start making shocking films. She's been churning them out for at least 30 years, and this film, widely banned for its hefty pornographic content, is one of her most notorious. The plot, as it is, involves a young girl (er, a real young girl) named Alice (Charlotte Alexandra), who's not just experiencing her sexual awakening in this summer of '63, but is also exploring all kinds of sensory disturbances. Case in point: Shortly after the film begins, Alice sticks a spoon in her vagina, then she vomits all over herself. Later scenes include playing with ear wax and, of course, a dalliance with an older man. Alexandra is often seen her in graphic shots (including one where she crawls around with feathers stuck in her posterior), so viewers should be warned, and while Breillat's low-budget work rates about a 3 out of 10 on the professionalism scale (the color timing is particularly awful), there's something oddly compelling and poetic about the movie. That said, it barely makes a lick of sense. Breillat's Fat Girl actually reminds me a lot of this movie, but done far better.

Aka Une vraie jeune fille.