BREATHE
France, 2014, 91 minutes, Colour.
Josephine Japy, Lou de Laage, Isabelle Carre.
Directed by Melanie Laurent.
Melanie Laurent has had a successful career as an actress both in her native France, The Roundup, in Canada, Beginners, and internationally as in Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds.
She has also tried her hand at directing and does so here, the story that she has written, a story about teenage girls, friendships, family, relationship with mothers, falling out…
Josephine Japy is Charlene, who lives with her mother and her prone-to-violence father. We see her at school, listening to a class on the nature of passion. And, into the class comes Sarah, Lou de Laage, something of a free spirit, extroverted, with a mother who works in an NGO in Nigeria, her own international experiences, making herway into the life of her new school. She and Charlene become friends, Sarah bringing Charlene out of herself, introducing her to the rather raucous life of clubs, dancing, drinking and drugs.
But, Charlene is rather introspective and a distance comes between herself and Sarah. Then the truth about Sarah comes out and a clash between the two girls. This becomes very serious at the end, with an outburst of violence by Charlene and the film ending with her looking straight to camera, leaving reflection and judgement to the audience.
1. The title, breathing space for Charlene, for Sarah, for Vanessa?
2. The French setting, the town, homes, school, the streets, the holiday house, the beach, the farm? The musical score?
3. A film of female sensibilities, the director and writer, her film career, the lead actresses?
4. A sensitive film about female adolescence, self-consciousness, self-image, relationships, friendship, love, sexuality?
5. The portrait of Charlene, her age, getting up in the morning, touch of sullenness, the presence of her father, his increasing brutality, yet his love for his daughter, her mother upset, wanting the father to leave? Charlene going by bus to school? Her friendship with Victoire, their being together, in class, the teacher and the discussion about passion and excess – and its relationship to Charlene’s experiences with Sarah?
6. Sarah, arriving in class, giving the answer to the maths problem to the boy at the board, seated next to Charlene? Asking her help for history? Sarah, her personality, her criticisms of people who told exaggerated stories? Her own story about her mother in Nigeria, the NGO?
7. The development of the friendship between Charlene and Sarah, shared interests, the nights out, the clubs, drinking, drugs, boys, dancing? Back at home, Sarah’s relationship with Vanessa? At home with Charlene? Going on holiday, the car ride, the meals, Sarah going with the boy, sexual encounter? The intimacy of their discussions, Charlene and Lucas, attempts at sex, Sarah later revealing this? The tension growing
between the two? The place of Victoire – on the outer? Vanessa and her support?
8. Charlene following Sarah home, discovering the truth about her mother, alcoholism? Sarah’s reaction?
9. Things resuming at school, Sarah going off with others, the effect on Charlene, emotionally, by herself, Victoire and her support, Victoire urging her to be independent?
10. The increasing effect on Charlene? Sarah coming to the house, the confrontation – and Charlene, the suppressed violence coming out, choking Sarah? Her mother arriving?
11. The impact of Charlene staring into the camera and leaving the audience to wonder about her and her future?
