À nos amours (1983) - film review

15 years old, Suzanne goes out with boys, and sleeps with whoever she fancies, except the boy who actually love her – despite objections from her parents and over-protective brother.   Then, one day, her father announces that he is going to leave home...

This is a profoundly perceptive and believable film about a young girl’s troubled journey into womanhood, in a crumbling and unsupportive family environment.  Sandrine Bonnaire is quite simply stunning as the emotionally confused Suzanne.  The quality of her performance, coupled with Paialat’s apparently improvised style of film making, gives the film a sharp-edged, documentary feel, which heightens the emotional impact and drama.

Pialat’s style is a little unsettling to those who are not familiar with his work, bearing more than a passing resemblance to the fresh, unpolished style of the French New Wave directors of the early 1960s.  To some extent, the film lacks structure and a coherent narrative, and appears to grind to a halt on a few occasions.    However, the Pialat shows a genuine flair for capturing the raw emotions and revealing the distress in an adolescent’s confused mind.  For this approach to work at all, he is very reliant on some great acting talent.  In Sandrine Bonnaire, the director has just that, and Pialat and Bonnaire form a very successful combination, emphasised by Pialat’s portrayal of Suzanne’s father.

© James Travers 2001

Write a review for this film...

What do you think of this film?