Young and Beautiful (2013)

Isabelle is 17, astoundingly beautiful with many young men willing to have sex with her, yet she lives a double life as a prostitute for older men showing little to no interest in the money she obtains from it.

So why does she do it?

The way that Ozon answers this question is what makes the Film so interesting to watch, that and of course the fact that Marine Vacth, who plays young Isabelle brilliantly, is so intensely addicting to look at.

"I could only make the film if I had an actress who was fascinating to look at[…] it had to be an actress that the viewer, and myself, wanted to look at – almost as you'd look at an insect."

Isabelle's first sexual experience is cold, she feels used, she imagines herself watching with absolute disgust. After this experience she decides to be a prostitute serving older men in hotels. When one client doesn't pay the full agreed fee, it seems to distress Isabelle a lot more than what we'd expect considering she shows little use for the money she earns. But evidently its not the money that distresses her its the feeling that her sex isn't worth a lot, the doubt about her personal beauty, that men don't value her enough to pay the full amount. In the bar scene Isabelle has with Alice (Charlotte Rampling) Georges's widow, Alice tells Isabelle that she always wished men would pay to make love to her. Isabelle seems to relate to this and we see that they have reached an understanding. Alice is the only person in the film who seems to understand why Isabelle engaged in prostitution.

One of her regular clients, Georges, treats her more tenderly, pays without her needing to ask and seems genuinely fulfilled by her. When she explains this to the psychiatrist and that Georges's death saddened her, we realize what she really wanted, affection from her lovers which would prove that she is desirable. But since affection seemed foreign to her, she wanted proof by making men pay high amounts of money just to screw her. The assurance thrilled her and made her enjoy arranging times to offer her services. Georges was special to her, he not only payed but also acted affectionately, he asked her about her life and didn't demand much of her.

On the whole, the movie is brilliant. Marine Vacth's acting is superb, and Francois Ozon shows us in an articulate manner the inexplicable and unpredictable nature of a sexually-blossoming teenager's mindset.

Fmovies: I was so impressed with François Ozon. I really like him! Why could he depict such a detailed and refined psychological description? Why did I feel it nicely? I was so wondering that. The Isabelle's beauty was one of the attractions of this movie. Of course, I liked her innocent appearance, and was fascinated with her subtle working.

17-years-old-girl is such changeable, so it was unsure. Youth is fleeting and beautiful. Every second various things get into her and go out. I felt like her feeling, but I never understand it completely because I have already passed through her age. So it was so impressive.

While losing her virginity, she was not a girl, neither a woman. She kept unstable in an awkward place. I coudn't resist her languorous face. The age of 17 was exact subtle unlike 18. I wondered if 18-years-old-people are recognized as the adults in France.

Although there were many sex scenes, I didn't feel bad at all. Or rather, they were beautiful like arts. I guessed the reason why most customers were old aged men and Western.

I really liked Ozon's last film (Dans la maison), but this one was a disappointment for me. It's hard not to see this story as a bunch of first world problems. But at its core, there are several good ideas and stories - and none of them gets the spotlight. The director goes from one subplot to the other, without really developing the characters, and seemingly has no idea what to do with this story. (And this makes the ending even worse.) But time to time, some settings or the actors' performance can tell us more than a thousand words.

Anyway, it's a thoughtful and basically a good movie, but it's too unfocused, unbalanced to go anywhere. If you haven't seen Dans la maison from Ozon, I'd recommend that one instead.

Young and Beautiful fmovies. This film tells the story of a teenage middle class girl who explores her sexuality by becoming a prostitute.

"Young and Beautiful" shows a lot of skin, but little of the mind. I mean this in a good way though, because it keeps Isabelle's life choices mysterious. When it does show Isabelle's mind (in the scene where she talks to the psychologist), she opens up and shows her true emotions that have been suppressed. Isabelle's short confession is enough to provoke much thought, and makes the film more sophisticated. It's just like the scene towards the end, when she switches on her phone, her brief facial expression is already telling us a lot.

The plot is not as tight or thrilling as Ozon's previous film "In the House", but it is still enjoyable as it lingers my mind after watching it.

A young and beautiful girl sells her body to rich older men, lying about her age, and hiding it to her parents and friends. Until an unexpected event forces her to confront reality. The new film's subject from French director François Ozon is close to Julia Leigh's 2011 "Sleeping Beauty", but the treatment is quite different. Nothing is odd or strange here. We follow Isabelle's journey through the discovery of sexuality in a very realistic fashion, typical of Ozon's filmmaking.

The only trouble is that we are not troubled ! The script is so predictable that we get very few surprises throughout the film, and we do not care for Isabelle's fate at all. That's a shame considering the interesting subject.

The lack of explanation for her behavior is a good thing, we do not get the usual psychological/environment/parents syndrome, but this leads to a certain shallowness.

Actors do a fine number, especially the beautiful Marine Vacth, whom we should see again very soon, hopefully in a more rewarding role.

Young & Beautiful is one of François Ozon's few completely serious movies, without even the gentle humor of In the House. This will appeal more to fans of Time to Leave or Under the Sand than to fans of 8 Women, for example - unless you love every movie he's ever made, as I do.

This is the marvelously well written, directed, photographed and acted story of a beautiful girl named Isabelle, from a prosperous and loving middle-class family, who turns 17 during the course of the movie. She and her younger brother Victor are best friends.

She has a strong sex drive but quickly discovers that she doesn't really enjoy the act itself. Her body insists on doing it, and she's in high demand because of her extraordinary beauty, so she goes online and turns it into a part-time job on weekdays after school. She does it more to channel her frighteningly strong drive into something productive than for the money - which seems to me like a remarkably intelligent and sensible decision for a 17-year-old. No one has any idea that she's doing it, even Victor.

Everything goes well until the police investigation of a sudden but natural death involves her, and the cops tell her mother. Since she's a minor, she's legally a victim, not a criminal, but the proverbial stuff hits the fan anyway.

Besides Ozon's brilliance and skill, which are remarkably consistent across the wide range of genres he experiments with, this movie is extraordinary for three wonderful performances. First is Marine Vacth as Isabelle. It's rare and delightful when a great beauty turns out to be greatly talented as well.

Second is Fantin Ravat as her little brother Victor. Theirs is the strongest, healthiest, most interesting and most gratifying sibling relationship I've ever seen.

Third is Charlotte Rampling as the wife of one of Isabelle's clients. The scene between her and Vacth is like a cinematic jewel, full of beauty and magic. Those two powerful women and Ozon raise an already very good movie into the heavens. Fantastic.