Fat Girl (A ma soeur!) (2001)

I always really wanted to see Fat Girl, as it sounded interesting and it's always great to see a recent film in the ol' Collection. Yet, over at CF.com, there was a lot of talk on how Breillat relies solely on shock value and that the film it utter garbage. Then at the same time, you get folks like my friend Zut, who thought it was a great piece of art. I suppose that's just the way it goes, some will love it and some will hate it.

As for how I feel about it, I really enjoyed it, for the most part. I liked the pace of the film, especially early on. There's not much plot here, and Breillat does stretch it a bit, but it's still enjoyable, especially to learn about the characters early on. I really didn't see much shock value in it, because it was a bold move to show the sex the way it was shown in the film, and that seems to be the way most people feel about it. But then, I got to the unexpected ending and it really threw me for a loop. I suppose I can kind of comprehend it, as it's what Anais really wanted, to find anyone to lose her virginity to, especially someone she loved. Kind of a 'be careful what you wish for' scenario. But still, it came from nowhere, so it does seem very shocking. So, I'm not sure if I can say whether she relies solely on shock value or not, because it is extremely shocking to see, but at the same time, the rest of the film was great.

The highlight of the film was a 20-minute scene where Fernando seduces Elena. It's almost nothing but talk, but it really shows the way a guy can sweet talk a girl with promises, asking her to 'prove her love'. It really shows the choice Elena is forced to make, a choice most people are given in their lives, and the stress it puts on an already already shaky situation. I liked the camerawork, as it slowly pans around the couple, revealing Anais in the corner, simply to remind the viewer she's still there. It reminded me of Godard's Contempt, the opening camerawork. A great part is when Fernando and Elena are both naked, kissing, and he promises he won't enter her at all, and even afterwards, you can still see he's really tempted. From personal experience, I can relate, because it's EXTREMELY hard just to go "oh yeah, time to stop". Especially if you're a guy.

I actually expected something bad to happen at the end, because the Mother is driving so recklessly. The editing and camerawork create a lot of tension and you're positive that something bad will be happening. It reminded me of one time when I decided to catch a ride from New York with somebody who was drunk when I was young (didn't know how to drive), just to see my then-girlfriend. And, of course, they get to the rest stop and are completely safe. Then the film just leaves the viewer going "wtf?"