madcardinal
If there's something European film-makers excel at, it's making good, honest movies about being young. In comparison, American efforts in this genre are clumsy, artificial, sanitized, heavy-handed, overly safe and moralizingly preachy to a nauseating degree. In short, American films about youth rush to hit the viewer over the head with a hollow message and throw authenticity, frankness, the life of the soul, and the life of the body into the dumpster. It's as if the characters were intended merely as mouthpieces for ideas or agendas to placate various pressure groups."L'effrontee," however, portrays a vivid sense of place alive with real, breathing people. Raoul Billery is excellent as the widower father, a plain, strong tool-maker; but it is the remarkable Charlotte Gainsbourg who carries the film. She is fabulous as the 13-14 year old girl starting her journey to womanhood without her mother. She articulates the awkwardness, beauty and petulance of this age perfectly, as well as the first self-conscious inklings of her own emerging sex appeal. The strength here is that nothing of real life is artificially filtered out: The movie allows the girl to have the brain, the body, and the emotions to live fully and includes a poignant attraction to a beautiful piano prodigy and the dubious attentions of a significantly older (socially inept?) male. Charlotte Gainsbourg had me miffed at her character and cheering for her at the same time. My heart really went out to her. And man, does she have a trying summer! The only negative in "L'effrontee" is an irritating song that keeps cropping up - sounds like a French attempt to imitate Abba.The film-makers did an excellent job of capturing the look and feel of a sweltering summer. After watching this film, I'd like to see more films made by Claude Miller. And judging from this superlative early performance, I'm eager to see many other films starring Charlotte Gainsbourg.Once you see this movie, you'll cringe when you try to go back to the shallow phoniness of John Hughes, Molly Ringwald or Matthew Broderick. Miss Gainsbourg and "L'effrontee" are the real thing - the cream of the crop.
FilmCriticLalitRao
Claude Miller likes to portray unhappy people as he believes that nothing happens to happy people. His films have won him both critical as well as Box Office success. L'Effrontee shows how hard it is to live as a neglected child with desires and aspirations. Claude Miller's poetic mis- en-scene imparted divine exquisiteness to a pure tale of uncertainty. Charlotte experiences the passage from childhood to adolescence in a difficult manner. Miller has created one of the best coming of age film in years. Things become tough for Charlotte when she is introduced to an alien world of music. She reminds us of our childhood dreams and frustrations. Miller has always championed the cause of young characters in his films portraying complex personal relationships. L'Effrontee is similar to his earlier film "La meilleure facon de marcher" as he has aimed to portray joys and sorrows experienced by adolescents in their formative years. As a cinéaste who learned his métier from Truffaut, Claude Miller will continue to create stories of troubled childhoods.
befina
Even though this film was released in 1985, I've recently watched it, and it is extraordinarily delightful! This is one of the most splendid French films I have ever seen! Claude Miller captivates his audience with a remarkable cast featuring Charlotte Gainsbourg, Jean-Philipe 'Ecoffey, Julie Glenn, Simon de la Brosse, etc. This film is filled with a lot of coming of age angst from its main characters. It's comedic moments with the constant outbursts from Charlotte are incredibly cute but also endearing. I've never encountered quite a warm and personable film as L' Effrontee before.In addition, L' Ecffrontee also boasts a fun theme song reminiscent of ABBA, which I desperately want to download!
Didier (Didier-Becu)
Most of the times the smallest things in life are the greatest and in cinema that's not any different. It's been a long long time since I saw such a supertalent as Charlotte Gainsbourg (yeah, daughter of...) and with justified reasons this movie was be a sort of springboard for Charlotte's further career. Charlotte plays the role of a teenager whose life is totally overruled by boredom both by the persons she's surrounded with (her only friend is a sick ten year old girl Lulu) and the village she lives in. Nothing ever happens and the usual parties at the local disco cant convince Charlotte in no way...all she wanna do is escape if only she could. But then it happens when a girl of her age enters the village to give a concert (the girl is a pianoplayer who is worldwide respected). Charlotte tries everything to become the pianist best friend with only one purpose : to escape from the dull world she is living in... As said the whole film has one focal point : Charlotte Gainsbourg and it is perhaps the best teenermovie ever made and it makes you forget the many stupid things that were sended by us by the likes of Matthew Broderick or any other John Hughes-icons. Superb movie!
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