Frederic Malgras Movies

Manuel Pradal makes his feature-film debut with this free-form tale of Marie (Vahina Bronchain), a seductive 14-year-old child/woman who works in an American naval base canteen during the 60s. The base is located near an undetermined Mediterranean resort area. When not amusing herself with the occasional sailor, Marie finds herself drawn to the cruel teenage boy Orso, a tough thief who has just robbed a resort so he can buy a gun. Together, Marie and Orso travel to a remote island, but instead of finding paradise, the two find only meaningless violence. There is not much to the story, but what makes this film interesting is Pradal's use of cinematography to create dream-like effects fraught with symbolism. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi