Verdict
Summary
From edgy filmmaker Just Jaeckin, who was best known for his work in erotic films with films such as Emmanuelle and The Story of O to his credit before embarking on this somewhat sobering coming of age film that captured a moment in time for these Parisian beauties in the prime of their bloom. It’s very much as advertised without much in the way of depth or emotional intelligence, but it’s worth it just to see lovely Parillaud in an early role of her career. The soundtrack has some early ’80s hits, and fans of the transition period between the ’70s and ’80s should enjoy this more than most.
Plot:
Four teen girls come of age in a trendy period in Paris.
Review:
Four teen girls – Catherine (Anne Parillaud), Annie (Zoe Chauveau), Suzanne (Charlotte Walior), and Betty (Isabelle Mejias) – are sprinting towards adulthood at their full bloom of girlhood, taking next to no care as they experiment with premarital sex, give love a try, and experience trauma and heartbreak in ways they never could have prepared for even if they’d tried. One of the girls gets pregnant on her first time having sex with a guy who swears it’s his first time too, but next time she sees him, he’s already moved onto another girl. One of the girls – Catherine – is sort of the guiding missile for the others, propelling herself headlong into trouble when she tries raising money for their friend to get an abortion, but one of her schemes ends up with her being gang raped in a hotel by three grown men when she tries robbing one of them of his pocket change. Fun at disco dances and puppy love vanish quicker than a blink of an eye for some of these girls who have no real guiding light or morality when even their parents turn a blind eye to what they do all night long.
From edgy filmmaker Just Jaeckin, who was best known for his work in erotic films with films such as Emmanuelle and The Story of O to his credit before embarking on this somewhat sobering coming of age film that captured a moment in time for these Parisian beauties in the prime of their bloom. It’s very much as advertised without much in the way of depth or emotional intelligence, but it’s worth it just to see lovely Parillaud in an early role of her career. The soundtrack has some early ’80s hits, and fans of the transition period between the ’70s and ’80s should enjoy this more than most.
Cult Epics has just released a 4K Ultra HD / Blu-ray of Girls, which shines in a new 4K restoration. They’ve included a standard Blu-ray as well in the two-disc set, and special features include an audio commentary, an interview with Jaeckin (his final one), interviews with some of the cast members (including archival interviews with the cast), an alternate German cut of the film, and trailers.
