young and beautiful 2013 movie review

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One of the destabilizing and pleasurable aspects of "Young and Beautiful," a story about a 17-year-old girl named Isabelle (played, hauntingly and effectively, by newcomer Marine Vacth ) who decides to go to work as a prostitute is that writer-director Francois Ozon does not trouble himself with trying to diagnose, explain, or provide a backstory. There is not an inciting event that one could point to and say, "This is why Isabelle does what she does." Isabelle's actions are presented simply and nonjudgmentally, the camera following her up and down escalators, up and down hallways, and catching her mirrored reflection in various hotel rooms. "Young and Beautiful" has a very formal and elegant structure, broken up into four seasonal chapters, each one attached to a thematically-appropriate Francoise Hardy pop song. The structure provides a huge echoing space, evocative of the blank dissociation accompanying much of the sex seen in the film. The mood is one of yearning restless adolescence, sometimes melancholy and sometimes dangerous; familiar territory to Ozon. Ozon is interested in what hormones can do when they first explode. Beyond that, we are left to decide. "Young and Beautiful" doesn't have the eerie power of some of Ozon's other films, like " In the House " or " Swimming Pool ," but it is still a fascinating experience.

"Young and Beautiful" opens in summer with a middle-class French family on holiday by the seaside. Isabelle is first seen sunning topless on the beach through the lenses of binoculars held by her younger brother Victor ( Fantin Ravat ). From the very first image, we see Isabelle through another's eyes.  Victor trails along behind Isabelle, disturbed and intrigued by his sister's blossoming sexuality, and wanting all the details about the secret dates she's having with a German hunk named Felix (Lucas Prisor). Isabelle doesn't want to bring Felix home to meet her parents. He seems dumb as a box of rocks; they wouldn't approve. So Victor provides distractions as she sneaks out of the house.

She loses her virginity to Felix on the beach one night. We see her lying beneath him, and a look of unbearable sadness and loneliness rises up into her beautiful face. She glances off to the side, and sees herself standing there, looking on. It is a curious and powerful moment suggesting the level of her dissociation. Her sexuality, at that young age, is somewhat abstract. She's still a kid. She has feelings, she wants things, dreams about things, and yet the reality is totally different from what she imagined. Maybe she's just glad to get it over with, but the image of herself standing there on the beach, looking on, haunts the rest of the film.

The next time we see Isabelle, she is back in the city with her family, starting her senior year, and working as a prostitute after creating a profile on an adult site that sets girls up with clients. She meets these men in various high-end hotel rooms, stealing a gray silk shirt from her mother to wear under her conservative blue suit. She doesn't seem to get any pleasure out of the sex, and goes through the motions with a poker face. Her family has money, so she is not doing it for that reason. Some of her encounters with clients border on the weird, but the men are seen as mostly lonely guys who want certain things that she can provide. The encounters don't seem to touch her.

Until she meets Georges ( Johan Leysen ), an elderly guy who becomes a regular. Their scenes together are amazing. He is curious about her, and she is detached and cold. But there is a kind of tenderness that opens up between them, and she feels comfortable during her times with him. When things with Georges go south, alarmingly, swiftly, she is shaken. Isabelle has devoted her life to sex that has no meaning, outside of the monetary reward. But something opens up in the air between her and Georges, through the sex, that is perhaps more adult than she is ready to confront or even experience. The tension that comes from not knowing why Isabelle has made these choices is beautiful. It does not condescend to the sexuality of its young lead. It understands that half the time she actually doesn't know what she is doing. And isn't that so often the case when you are 17.

Interspersed with the scenes with clients, we see Isabelle in operation in her other lives: her family, her parents, her classmates. In one great scene, Isabelle sits in an English class and the teacher starts a discussion about Rimbaud's poem "Novel," which includes the lines:

No one's serious at seventeen. --On beautiful nights when beer and lemonade And loud, blinding cafés are the last thing you need --You stroll beneath green lindens on the promenade.

In a scene that feels improvised, the students discuss what those lines mean to them. They feel like real kids. When you're 17, you have no concept that your youth will not last forever; you have no understanding that you will look back on this particular "season" and perhaps see it a little bit differently. Rimbaud's poem helps crack open that reality for them. Isabelle does not participate in the discussion. "No one's serious at seventeen," Rimbaud? Well, she is. The secrets she keeps are enormous and threatening. Maybe that's the biggest thrill of all for her, showing how close to childhood she still is. Having a secret makes you feel powerful.

Her parents are caring individuals, and open-minded, but they have no idea what is going on with their daughter. Isabelle's mother (the wonderful Geraldine Pailhas ) also has a secret, and it isn't revealed until later in the film. Isabelle's reaction to the reality of her mother's sexuality, still in operation, still trying to get its needs met, is one of hurt and loss. When her mother discovers Isabelle's secret, the comfortable family relationships break apart, and the unspoken understanding that families "know" one another is shattered. Pailhas loses it, in a confrontation scene both painful and violent.

All of this could tip over into sheer melodrama in less confident hands. Ozon keeps the details to a minimum, allowing us to just sit back and observe. There may be times when we are afraid for Isabelle, alone in a hotel room with these men who want her to do certain things they will pay for. She is seen descending escalators into darkness or ascending into the light, carrying her big school bag, dressed up in a suit that makes her look older, strolling down lush hotel hallways with her back to the camera. The film, from its first shot of her through the binoculars, shows how very precarious and thrilling it can be, being a young and beautiful girl.

Sheila O'Malley

Sheila O'Malley received a BFA in Theatre from the University of Rhode Island and a Master's in Acting from the Actors Studio MFA Program. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

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Film credits.

Young & Beautiful (2014)

Marine Vacth as Isabelle

Géraldine Pailhas as Sylvie

Charlotte Rampling as Alice

Frédéric Pierrot as Patrick

Nathalie Richard as Véro

Johan Leysen as Georges

Fantin Ravat as Victor

Laurent Delbecque as Alex

• François Ozon

Cinematography

• Pascal Marti

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Young and Beautiful

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Time Out says

François Ozon tiptoes gracefully through a minefield in Young and Beautiful , the story of a 17-year-old girl, Isabelle (former model Marine Vacth), from a comfortable Parisian background, who decides to become a high-class prostitute in between school and negotiating the normal ups and downs of family life. Isabelle isn't poor; there's no obvious evidence of abuse; and any problems she has at home are common enough.

And yet, from the film's early scenes, when Isabelle discusses a holiday fling with her pre-teen brother, rejecting the intimacy of a real romance, we realise that something is seriously wrong when it comes to sex, her body and her relationships with men. It's a sit-up-and-watch premise as Isabelle launches herself into a series of paid-for encounters in hotel rooms with much older men – but one that Ozon only scratches at the surface of, taking an approach that flits between soft and severe.

It's to Ozon's credit that he never serves up easy answers, and even after ample scenes of sex and showdowns with those closest to Isabelle, and even a scene with a psychologist, we're none the wiser as to what's driving her. This puts great emphasis on Vacth's performance – and on the film as a character study – as we strain to read her behaviour, her few words, even the look in her eyes. It's goes without saying that Vacth's embrace of the frank and frequent sex scenes is bold and brave. But she offers more than this. There's a steeliness in her eyes, tempered by vulnerability, that's deeply saddening. She's hard and experienced beyond her years; but she's also lost and deeply unhappy. A scene late at night with her stepfather (Frédéric Pierrot) is uncomfortable and upsetting as she brings home the superficial charm she uses to win over clients. Her testy relationship with her understanding, if distracted, mother (Géraldine Pailhas) is skillfully drawn and quietly unknowable.

But this welcome openness is contradicted by other decisions that Ozon makes. The film's four-season structure – we move from summer to spring – is suffocating and squeezes complex ideas into an over-simple framework. The songs that mark the change of seasons are trite and obvious ("The little girl you knew is no more," offers one, bluntly), and other attempts to counter Isabelle's opacity, such as her classmates reciting the French poet Rimbaud, feel similarly forced.

Pleasingly, Ozon upends a late episode with a new boyfriend in which it feels like matters are being wrapped up far too cleanly and neatly. But then, an even later appearance in a small role by Charlotte Rampling as the wife of one of Isabelle's clients is simply strange and impossible to believe. At a fatal juncture, it distracts attention from the film's important questions and from Vacth's noble attempts to address them with a subtlety and a confidence that marks the arrival of a genuine new star.

Release Details

• Release date: Friday 29 November 2013
• Duration: 90 mins

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Eye For Film >> Movies >> Young & Beautiful (2013) Film Review

Young & beautiful.

Reviewed by: Richard Mowe

François Ozon has a deserved reputation for extracting strong female performances from everyone from Charlotte Rampling ( Under The Sand and Swimming Pool ) to Catherine Deneuve ( 8 Women and Potiche ). He seems to have a direct line in to the female psyche.

In his latest film, which consistently takes you by surprise, he delves in to the burgeoning sexuality of teenager Isabelle - from her loss of virginity on holiday to her secretive liaisons with prostitution when she returns to Paris. Precisely why she chooses to consort for money with a variety of older men initially is never fully explained. Her mother (Géraldine Pailhas) and stepfather (Frédéric Pierrot) have given her a comfortable home where she has plenty of liberty. The money from her extra-curricular activities simply accumulates in her wardrobe.

While she goes out mysteriously for her hotel room encounters, her college contemporaries are busy reciting Rimbaud in class and worrying about relationships with boys of their own age. Meanwhile her prepubescent brother Victor (Fantin Ravat) also anticipates the first stirrings of sexual curiosity.

When one regular client dies during intercourse, the police become involved and Ozon divulges more of Isabelle's 'background and motivations in conversations with a psychiatrist. Ozon succeeds in maintaining the intrigue until a surprise appearance by Rampling as the wife of the deceased. She talks about her own teenage romance with the man who became her husband.

With its resonances of a junior version of Luis Buñuel's Belle De Jour , Ozon has found a luminous new face in former model Marine Vacth, who combines teenage rebelliousness and mature seductiveness. The scenes between her and Pailhas have a deep subtlety and intimacy.

After the more showy pyrotechnics of his social satire In the House Ozon seems equally at home in the close confines of a family environment. The film sits deftly in his canon: Sitcom, Criminal Lovers , Water Drops On Burning Rocks and Swimming Pool all featured teenagers involved in sexual and emotional conundrums.

Read more Young & Beautiful reviews:

Director: François Ozon

Writer: François Ozon

Starring: Marine Vacth, Géraldine Palhas, Frédéric Pierrot, Fantan Ravat, Johan Leysen, Charlotte Rampling, Nathalie Richard, Djedje Apali, Lucas Prisor, Laurent Delbecque, Jeanne Ruff

Runtime: 95 minutes

Country: France

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The Odd Apple

François ozon’s “young and beautiful”: summary and analysis.

This post includes a brief plot summary, an analysis and an explanation about the ending of the 2013 film “Young and Beautiful” (Jeune et Jolie). Beware of spoilers.

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Young & Beautiful (DVD)

What happens when a young woman’s hidden desires clash with societal norms? In “Young and Beautiful”, François Ozon invites the audience to witness a young woman’s clandestine exploration of her own sexuality and yearning for independence. The 2013 French drama film stars Marine Vacth as Isabelle, a 17-year-old who becomes an escort.

“Young and Beautiful” is a mesmerizing story of self-discovery that indulges itself in the enigmatic allure of the forbidden”.

During summer vacation, Isabelle loses her virginity to a random boy she met. But the experience falls short of her expectations, and the teenager decides to start a double life as a prostitute.

To her misfortune, one of her best clients (George) dies from a heart attack while they were having sex. Out of sheer panic, Isabelle storms out of the hotel room. Nonetheless, the police eventually find out about Isabelle’s illicit activities. The mother, Sylvie, is shocked and furious about her daughter’s secret life.

Given that Isabelle is still underage, the police decide not to press charges against her. However, Sylvie still decides to punish Isabelle by taking away the money she earned as a call girl. Meanwhile, Sylvie rushes Isabelle to seek therapy.

After George’s death, Isabelle changed her lifestyle quite a bit. She is now working as a babysitter and dating a boy named Alex. But soon after having sex, Isabelle dumps him. And just like that, the teenager is back to her “old life”. She activates her other SIM card and sees a message from Alice, George’s widow.

The ending of “Young and Beautiful” shows Isabelle meeting Alice at the hotel where George died. Since he’s been ill for a while, Isabelle didn’t cause his death. The widow informs Isabelle that she is aware of her husband’s escapades with other women and they fall asleep together. Isabelle awakens alone in the hotel room, but she is relieved.

“Young and Beautiful” concludes with an ambiguous ending. This is a fitting finale for a film that explores the intricate depths of human desire, innocence and adolescence.

After George’s death, Isabelle didn’t stop her illicit activities because of shame. Actually, she was ashamed, but it wasn’t for sleeping with men in exchange for money. Isabelle felt responsible for George’s death. If she hadn’t had sex with him, maybe he wouldn’t have died. That’s what she thought. However, George wasn’t in the best shape, he had health problems.

When Isabelle met Alice, she was finally able to understand what happened. Isabelle learned that George was ill. Therefore, she didn’t kill him, he would have died eventually of something else. In addition, the fact that Alice doesn’t despise her and understands why she prostitutes herself made her feel more relieved.

Reality hit Isabelle when George died. Due to their frequent encounters, George ended up being a little bit more than just a client. Isabelle started seeing him as someone’s father and husband. So in a way, when George died, she felt guilty for “taking him away” from his daughter and wife.

What about Alice? What did she get from meeting Isabelle? She got to see the last woman that George slept with. Alice knew about the affairs but didn’t do much about them. By the way, George might have a type: his wife. The melancholic eyes gave it away. So, it’s ironic that even when George is cheating on his wife, he’s looking for someone who looks like his wife.

The final scene of “Young and Beautiful” marks the closing of a cycle: there’s no more mystery about George. Alice and Isabelle now know about each other and they are getting along surprisingly well, given the circumstances that brought them together. Without the guilt, Isabelle wakes up more relieved, hence the jolly face.

Isabelle’s lifestyle choices, which deviate from societal norms, have consequently subjected her to significant judgement from both strangers and acquaintances.

“Young and Beautiful” effectively portrays the common fear among women of other beautiful women. Let’s take the reactions of other female characters, such as Sylvie and her friend, as an example. When they discovered Isabelle’s double life, two visceral reactions came out of them: first, shock, and then, disgust.

After the revelation of her “secret life”, many female figures in Isabelle’s life separated her into two: the child and the woman. They are fine with the first one because she is innocent and innocuous. However, they are terrified of the second one. This grown-up and sexualized version of Isabelle is “dangerous” because it can “take their man away”.

While Isabelle tries to stay to herself, her mother is the complete opposite. Actually, Sylvie is one of the biggest hypocrites in this story. She heavily condemns Isabelle’s decision, and yet she is a sinner herself.

After finding out her daughter’s double life, Sylvia quickly labelled Isabelle as an ungrateful brat. However, did it ever occur to her that Isabelle is the way she is because of her two failed marriages? Let’s look at the facts: Sylvie divorced her first husband and is now cheating on her second husband.

What kind of morals does Sylvie have to call her own daughter a whore? In reality, Sylvie is the immoral one for sleeping around. As a matter of fact, the daughter might have a better moral compass than the mother. At least she doesn’t pretend to be someone she is not.

In “Young and Beautiful”, Isabelle goes through a transformative character journey.

Maybe the silver lining in “Young and Beautiful” is that Isabelle is a rather optimistic person. She did not let a disappointing first-time deter her from further exploring her sexuality. Instead, Isabelle did the complete opposite.

Just like Sylvie, many cannot grasp why Isabelle, a high-middle-class “kid”, did what she did. Taboos aside, what was really Isabelle’s crime? The men who slept with her inadvertently committed a crime because she was still a minor. Other than that, was it wrong of Isabelle to charge money for sex?

Isabelle is at a weird age where she is not a girl but not yet a woman. She is somewhere in between. Also, there are a lot of things that she is still curious about, namely sex. However, Isabelle is not interested in the mechanics of sex, but in the fantasy behind it: having someone to pay to be with her.

While most women in Isabelle’s life do not dare to even contemplate the idea, that’s not the case for George’s widow. Alice, as an older woman, understands what Isabelle is doing and doesn’t reprimand her for it. As a matter of fact, she said herself that she would’ve done the same only if she were younger and bolder.

Many might blame Isabelle’s behaviour on “daddy’s issues”. Her parents divorced when she was really young and Isabelle rarely sees her father. However, why is it so difficult to accept that Isabelle just wanted to experiment with different sexual partners and get paid in the process? Her first sexual experience wasn’t much. In addition, Isabelle didn’t sleep with Félix because she liked him, she just wanted to get rid of it (her virginity).

Charging for sex is not immoral, it’s a social construction.

If sex was a service, wouldn’t it make sense to make people pay for it? By the way, prostitution was the perfect way for Isabelle to sexually experiment with several people and remain anonymous. Other than her clients, who would know that she was sleeping with that many people? Isabelle is a smart young woman, but she got caught.

At the end, Isabelle has no regrets about prostituting herself, that’s why she reactivates the other SIM card. Typical teenagers are into flirting, dating and partying, but that’s not Isabelle’s cup of tea. She prefers to charge people who want to be with her. However, after George’s death, Isabelle does try to have a regular life.

Earning money through a regular job and having a boyfriend worked for a while, but it wasn’t enough for Isabelle. There is a clear separation between sex and love. Ironically, the closest thing to dating that Isabelle had might’ve been those encounters at the hotel with George. That’s why she was so devastated by George’s death.

Final Thoughts

“Young and Beautiful” (Jeune et Jolie) is a film that pushes people’s buttons. First of all, the protagonist is a prostitute and a minor. Second, Isabelle doesn’t seem to have any regrets about being a prostitute. The only thing that really upset her during the whole ordeal was George’s death.

So, will Isabelle start seeing clients again? Probably. Alice was a client, but she didn’t pay Isabelle to have sex with her, she just wanted her company. Isabelle didn’t learn her lesson because there was nothing to learn. Just to recapitulate: Isabelle wanted sexual variety and she wanted money for fun, not because she needed it. In addition, Isabelle is “young and beautiful” and she charges because she can.

Overall, “Young and Beautiful” (Jeune et Jolie) is a very polarizing film. Some people will view Isabelle the way her mother does, while others will be less judgemental, like Alice. Having said that, the film raises a lot of interesting questions, often censored because of personal biases.

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Young & beautiful.

2013 ‘Jeune & Jolie’ Directed by François Ozon

Isabelle, a 17-year-old student, loses her virginity during a quick holiday romance. When she returns home, she begins a secret life as a prostitute for a year.

Marine Vacth Géraldine Pailhas Charlotte Rampling Frédéric Pierrot Nathalie Richard Johan Leysen Fantin Ravat Laurent Delbecque Djédjé Apali Lucas Prisor Jeanne Ruff Carole Franck Olivier Desautel Serge Hefez Akéla Sari Nathan N'Diaye Anne-Elina N'Diaye Stefano Cassetti Patrick Bonnel Gurvan Cloatre Roland David Rachel Khan Caroline Breton Iliana Zabeth Charlotte-Victoire Legrain Jules Gruault Lilian Minas Jules Bourbon Ugo Bokhobza Show All… Anaïs Clergeau Achille Couderc Tess Girault de Castilla Victor Le Dauphin Coline Mortier Thaïs Becq de Fouquières Mathilde Bleu Victor Boulanger Rosalie Charrier Violette Deffontaines Nassim Gouaini Paul Hadji Lazaro François Haueter Roxane Khodabandehlou Camille Lemoine Zoé Lizot Alice Paulet Marie Sebillotte Vincent Silhol Camille Tilak Félicie Cazaubon Pauline Legrand Tom Le Squer Thomas Brazete

Director Director

François Ozon

Producers Producers

Nicolas Altmayer Eric Altmayer

Writer Writer

Casting casting.

Sarah Teper

Editor Editor

Laure Gardette

Cinematography Cinematography

Pascal Marti

Production Design Production Design

Katia Wyszkop

Composer Composer

Philippe Rombi

Costume Design Costume Design

Pascaline Chavanne

FOZ Mars Films France 2 Cinéma Mandarin Cinéma

Primary Language

Spoken languages.

French German

Releases by Date

16 may 2013, 01 jul 2013, 05 sep 2013, 26 sep 2013, 10 oct 2013, 21 aug 2013, 22 aug 2013, 29 aug 2013, 30 aug 2013, 19 sep 2013, 17 oct 2013, 31 oct 2013, 07 nov 2013, 08 nov 2013, 22 nov 2013, 28 nov 2013, 29 nov 2013, 05 dec 2013, 27 dec 2013, 03 jan 2014, 10 jan 2014, 15 feb 2014, 21 feb 2014, 07 mar 2014, 13 mar 2014, 17 apr 2014, 24 apr 2014, 25 apr 2014, 30 apr 2014, 06 jun 2014, 19 jun 2014, 10 jul 2014, 11 jul 2014, 08 aug 2014, 26 sep 2014, 09 oct 2014, 12 feb 2015, 05 mar 2015, 19 mar 2015, 20 dec 2013, 17 sep 2021, 04 jan 2014, 13 jan 2014, releases by country.

• Premiere Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival
• Theatrical 16
• Premiere Toronto International Film Festival
• Premiere Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
• Theatrical 15
• Premiere Cannes Film Festival
• Theatrical 12
• Digital VOD
• Physical DVD & Blu-Ray
• Digital 16 Disney+
• Theatrical Κ-18
• Physical DVD
• Theatrical III
• Theatrical 18
• Theatrical VM14

Netherlands

• Theatrical M/12

Russian Federation

South korea, switzerland.

• Premiere BFI London Film Festival
• Theatrical NR

95 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by Madison 🎭 ★★★½ 4

why are french people so depressed and horny that's my question

Review by YI JIAN ★★★★½ 2

Why did Isabelle become a prostitute? The question remains unanswered. It could be just like what his stepfather had speculated; for experimentation, but that's far too simple for my liking. Thinking about it, I find that my train of thought keeps going back to the psychiatrist's question:

"Are you doing this to see how much you're worth?"

Yes, worth. Perhaps that's the reason. Isabelle who seems to be so insecure of herself at the beginning completely transformed after her first sexual encounter. I like to think that experience brought a new issue to light for her -- self worth. Everyone's serious at 17 . So she had set out to discover her value, every teenager goes through this phase, only Isabelle's…

Review by nick ★★★★★ 1

Young & Beautiful is François Ozon's ambitious venture into the Fat Girl/Samaritan Girl universe, where adolescent female sexuality is explored through the most controversial yet ultimately maturing manner, and patriarchal slut-shaming is replaced by a strong dose of female self-empowerment.

In Young & Beautiful, a 17-year-old French girl comes of age while providing escort services to men of various ages. Through naturalistic lens, we follow Isabelle's life, as she juggles her messy family relations while keeping her secret money-making profession on the down low. The origin of Isabelle's decision is never explained, which is in perfect accordance with the inexplicable nature of teenage sensuality. With the whole story divided by four seasons, it's obviously metaphorical of the personal sexual awakening of Isabelle,…

Review by mayumi ★★½ 14

why french people are like this??? and also,,, why is a man directing a movie about female sexuality??¿¿

Review by single white femalien ★★

i wish men would keep their grimy paws off of female sexuality

Review by eda karaaslan ★★★★

bitches be so fine then boom they start dancing to crystal castles songs

Review by jules ★★★

90 minutes of a Lana del Rey song

Review by alisa🍷 ★★★

When do parents understand that our actions often don’t have anything to do with them, it’s so fucking annoying.

Review by Rod Sedgwick ★★★★½ 3

''Once a whore, always a whore.''

Only mere weeks after watching François Ozon's impressive In the House , I stumbled across the latest offering in his consistent and prolific career in Jeune & Jolie (Young & Beautiful) . The trajectory of the narrative here was certainly not surprising to me in light of recent reports detailing the increasing trend of female students turning to prostitution to cover their financial needs, but what pleased me most was that Ozon wasn't trying to explore this social issue at all. His main thrust here is a psychological study on a young woman who isn't giving anything away easily.

Filmed over four seasons and beginning with a family beach holiday, we see from the outset that Isabelle (Marine…

Review by cat bb ★½

very male gaze-y and offered little in the way of thoughtful content

Review by Valouu ★★★½

Ouaisss c'était cool mais je sais pas quoi dire dans ma review donc bonne nuit à tout ceux qui vont dormir et ceux qui viennent de se réveiller bah j'espère vous avez rêvé de moi

Review by davidehrlich ★★★

the type of movie that suggests "French Film" is less of a national classification than it is a genre. though Ozon is certainly aware of his self-parody, no matter how stiff it may be. beautiful young girls grappling with their sexual power and the extent to which they can influence the lives of others is a narrative as familiar as it is reliably watchable, and Ozon's take – which owes as much to the likes of Julia Leigh's SLEEPING BEAUTY as it does to BELLE DE JOUR and its ilk – never fails to find the transaction beneath the clothing. far too insular, but your blood will pool in all the expected places, i suppose.

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Synopsis by Perry Seibert

Characteristics, related movies.

Beautiful, interesting, incredible cinema.

YOUNG & BEAUTIFUL

Jeune et jolie.

After losing her virginity, Isabelle takes up a secret life as a call girl, meeting her clients for hotel-room trysts. Throughout four seasons, Isabelle remains curiously aloof, showing little interest in the encounters or the money, but rather led by an overwhelming desire for self-discovery.

A classic coming-of-age narrative slowly shifts to becoming a provocative drama about sex work in François Ozon’s portrait of a year-in-the-life of Isabelle. With a breakthrough performance by Marine Vacth, the film presents an ambiguous—perhaps satirical—take on the machinations of high society.

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Young and Beautiful

1934, Comedy/Romance, 1h 8m

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Young and beautiful   photos.

A publicity man (William Haines) in Hollywood attempts a ploy to make his fiancee (Judith Allen) the brightest star in the world.

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Original Language: English

Director: Joseph Santley

Producer: Nat Levine

Writer: Dore Schary , Al Martin , Colbert Clark

Runtime: 1h 8m

Cast & Crew

William Haines

Robert Preston

Judith Allen

Joseph Cawthorn

Herman Cline

John Miljan

Gordon Douglas

Ted Fio Rito

Vince Barnett

Warren Hymer

The Champion

Franklin Pangborn

Radio Announcer

Judith Arlen

Wampas Baby Star

Joseph Santley

Dore Schary

Screenwriter

Colbert Clark

John Stumar

Cinematographer

Thomas Scott

Film Editing

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Young & Beautiful (2013)

Original title: jeune & jolie.

Streaming in:

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95min - French

95min - English

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Young & Beautiful streaming: where to watch online?

Currently you are able to watch "Young & Beautiful" streaming on AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+, IFC Films Unlimited Apple TV Channel. It is also possible to buy "Young & Beautiful" on Apple TV, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube as download or rent it on Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Apple TV online.

Where does Young & Beautiful rank today? The JustWatch Daily Streaming Charts are calculated by user activity within the last 24 hours. This includes clicking on a streaming offer, adding a title to a watchlist, and marking a title as 'seen'. This includes data from ~1.3 million movie & TV show fans per day.

Streaming charts last updated: 9:18:27 AM, 04/17/2024

Young & Beautiful is 16724 on the JustWatch Daily Streaming Charts today. The movie has moved up the charts by 15152 places since yesterday. In the United States, it is currently more popular than Gamera vs. Barugon but less popular than Gentlemen in White Vests.

Isabelle, a 17-year-old student, loses her virginity during a quick holiday romance. When she returns home, she begins a secret life as a prostitute for a year.

Videos: Trailers, Teasers, Featurettes

Streaming Charts The JustWatch Daily Streaming Charts are calculated by user activity within the last 24 hours. This includes clicking on a streaming offer, adding a title to a watchlist, and marking a title as 'seen'. This includes data from ~1.3 million movie & TV show fans per day.

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SINGLE REVIEW: LANA DEL REY: “YOUNG AND BEAUTIFUL”

I started off writing a very negative review of this new Lana Del Rey single from The Great Gatsby soundtrack. I wrote about the lyrics being sub par and Lana practically slurring half of them with her peculiar pronunciation. But then a funny thing happened. After listening to the song nearly 10 times, I found myself liking it. I tried to focus on the review I was writing, but with each word I wrote I felt like I was becoming a bigger and bigger liar. So, I deleted that review and I’m serving you this instead.

Written by Lana and hit-maker Rick Nowels, it starts off with ominous bells and eerie strings, giving off a bit of a James Bond theme song vibe. In fact, it continues to give off that vibe when Lana begins singing. “I’ve seen the world, done it all, had my cake now, diamonds, brilliant, and Bel-Air now,” she croons, actually having the gall to rhyme “now” with “now.” But what initially put me off was that I felt like she was bragging about these things. Even if she’s singing from the perspective of a character in the movie, which is based on one of my least favorite books of all-time, it just struck me as someone bragging about their extravagant lifestyle. But, eventually, I was able to quote unquote hear the lyrics in the way they’re obviously intended; this is the story of someone looking back on her life, wondering if she’ll have anything left when she’s “no longer young and beautiful.” “Will you still love me when I got nothing but my aching soul,” she sings, essentially pleading, while massive beats that call to mind Craig Armstrong strike like thunder. Then she answers her own question: “I know you will, I know you will.” I think that put me off at first, too. It just seemed conceited. Don’t sing this song about fearing you’ll no longer be loved when you get old if you already know that you will be. Answering her own question seemed to render the rest of the lyrics pointless. But, again, it grew on me. I think it just finally occurred to me that she might not be so sure that that’s her answer, that she might just be telling herself that because it’s what she wants to believe. Looking at the song from that perspective, seeing it as someone lying to herself, gave it added depth, something the song sorely needed. Not musically — the production is gorgeous if not immaculate — I’m talking specifically about Lana’s lyrics and her fairly deadpan delivery. It’s hard not to cringe when she sings lines like, “Oh that grace, oh that body, oh that face makes me wanna party.” I mean, c’mon, go to any bar on any night of the week and you’ll hear guys using smarter pick up lines than that. Most of these lyrics sound like they could have been written by a 12 year old. But that question, “will you still love me when I’m no longer young and beautiful,” lingered in my head more and more after each listen. Combined with the dark, creepy music, it’s ultimately haunting. And it’s the haunting factor that makes up for the rest of the lyrics and how uninspired she sounds singing them. Not to mention the fact that she doesn’t even attempt any high notes here; we all know she isn’t Streisand, but a little effort goes a long way and one gets the impression that she phoned this in. But, yes, I like it. I do. Logically, I know I shouldn’t. It’s a mess, really. But it’s consumed me to the point that I now enjoy hearing it loop inside of my head. Maybe you’ll be able to resist it, and you probably should, but if you give it a few listens then I suspect it’ll overcome you.

11 responses to “SINGLE REVIEW: LANA DEL REY: “YOUNG AND BEAUTIFUL””

It’s okay to like a Lana song; really it is.

Lana practices a sort of melancholy irony; following up the big question with “I know you will” communicates uncertainty rather than certainty. A beautiful song of hers called “Never Let Me Go” is another good example.

It’s worth comparing this song to “Gods and Monsters,” on the Paradise EP. They’re obverse. Musically and thematically, they’re bound together, and the irony of each is a major reason.

I actually love Lana and have Born To Die and Paradise on vinyl. I guess I just didn’t think this new tune was as clever as her usual material.

Vinyl. I love vinyl.

Now, if I could just find a turntable for less than a fortune.

Lyrically speaking, I hate this song. It could’ve been so much better. The final verse kills me. Particularly:

“Oh that grace, oh that body Oh that face makes me wanna party He’s my sun, he makes me shine like diamonds”

It’s stupid, plain and simple. Talking about this fear of no longer being loved for the lack of youth and beauty when in the same song prizing those same qualities in the person about whom she is singing and asking the questions about. It just did not jive with me.

Compare it to it’s earlier verse:

” Hot summer days, rock ‘n’ roll The way you play for me at your show And all the ways I got to know Your pretty face and electric soul”

That just carries so much more in terms of wistful looking back and sentimentality – the heart of it in the midst of an extravagant and almost disillusioned first verse and tone — than the disjointed third verse. I really like the tune and the strings and agree that its haunting quality gives it staying power; but that last verse jumps off the rails in a train wreck for any literary sensibility I possess.

This is one of the first and only songs I’ve heard by Lana Del Ray — making me a a newer listener and all the bias that carries. Perhaps even an unfair view of this song. It’s evident she has talent, but if these are her song-writing abilities, they need a good deal of polishing.

You make some very good points. Thanks for commenting.

I think the third verse is the point. She wants him to love her always even when her beauty fades, but she loves him for things that will fade

Thanks for commenting. 🙂

The “I know you will” lyrics I also interpreted to mean she was reassuring herself in some way.

In terms of not singing high notes, I agree, it is a bit limiting (the climactic point of the song “like diamonds” has the most beautiful chord shift to it but then she goes back to the chorus singing it exactly the same, no change in dynamics). However as you may have noticed with most of Lana’s work, she is very much an alto. She can take her voice into a higher register but often comes off a bit light and falsetto (a la her song Blue Jeans).

Thanks for your review, was an interesting read.

Thanks for reading and commenting.

Your review of this song really bothers me. This song was written for the great gatsby, it tells their story and it does it very well. The whole book is about Gatsby trying so hard to hold on to daisy no matter what. The presence of carroway and the length of time apart from her makes him doubt they will be together but, like the book repeatedly states, gatsby is the most hopeful man you’re ever likely to meet and he clings to that hope, knowing, they’ll be together.

Only Lana is capable of producing such mesmerizing and at the same time, silly, songs. Amazing vocal lines and robust instrumental behind it, unfortunately lyrics are absolutely shameful.

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The life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time. The life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time. The life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time.

• Sam Taylor-Johnson
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• Marisa Abela
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• Jack O'Connell
• 29 User reviews
• 44 Critic reviews
• 50 Metascore

• Amy Winehouse

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• Trivia Marisa Abela did all the singing in this film herself. She trained extensively to mimic Amy Winehouse 's vocals.

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Screen Rant

Dan stevens teases abigail as a "bloody" good time full of comedy & scares [cinemacon].

Abigail star Dan Stevens discusses working with Radio Silence directing duo, his character Frank, and whether he'd like to reprise Legion in the MCU.

• Abigail is a gory horror comedy with a twist - the young girl kidnapped is not what she seems.
• Dan Stevens praises the film for its bloodiness and unique horror comedy style from Radio Silence.
• Stevens teases his character as the leader of the kidnappers, sharing insight into the film's dark humor.

Radio Silence once again brings their signature flavor of horror comedy back to the big screen with Abigail . A young girl, Abigail, is kidnapped and held for ransom by a ragtag group who are hoping to extort money from her father, a powerful figure from the underworld. Things take a turn when it is revealed that Abigail is not merely a ballerina, but a monster in her own right, sending the kidnappers scrambling as they realize surviving the night will be much harder than they anticipated.

The dynamic horror directing duo, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, team up once again with an original story after revitalizing the Scream franchise. The pair teamed up with Scream star Melissa Barrera once again for an all-new horror comedy full of blood and monstrous mysteries. The talented cast of Abigail includes a number of incredibly talented actors who have proven their skills in the horror space, including Kathryn Newton and Dan Stevens as well.

Abigail Review: Scream 6 Directors Reinvent Vampire Movies In Highly Entertaining, Gory Horror

Screen Rant had the opportunity to catch up with Dan Stevens while at CinemaCon, where he shared why fans should be hyped for Abigail , praising the director and sharing insight into his character. Stevens also discussed the possibility of reprising his Legion character in the MCU, joking that he'd have to talk to Shawn Levy.

Dan Stevens Teased Abigail Being " Cool, Funny, and Scary"

Stevens explained what sets Abigail apart from the other horror movies he's worked on. He shared that Abigail is likely bloodier than all his past horror projects. He also praised Radio Silence for their signature blend of horror and comedy.

Dan Stevens: I think there's probably about four times as much blood than any other movie - maybe all the other movies I've ever done combined. It's also just a very particular kind of horror comedy that Radio Silence really are the masters of. I love the way they work. There's such a sense of humor. There's mischievous filmmaking at work there. It's bloody, it's scary, but it's also very silly and very funny.

Stevens also revealed that Abigail is the first project he's worked on with a directing duo. He praised their directing style and shared a theory that made the rounds on set due to Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett being so calm. Stevens shared that the cast thought they must be splitting the stress between each other because of how lovely the working environment was.

Dan Stevens: We were often commenting because they are so sweet. They're such lovely guys, and they're so chill on set. It was my first time working with a director duo. We were theorizing that maybe they just divide the stress. There's half the stress in each of them, so that it's just a lovely working environment. We were just laughing our asses off in between takes and just trying to make something that audiences would find cool, funny, and scary - and just very silly.

Stevens also shared insight into his Abigail character, Frank. He revealed that while Frank is the leader of this ragtag crew he is also the one with the least useful skills.

Dan Stevens: Frank is a real... I don't know if I can say this, but he's a real piece of s--t. He's an awful character. He's supposedly the leader of this heist gang. I'm not quite sure what his special skill is. They all seem to have special skills. Frank is just an a--hole.

Dan Stevens Reflects On Playing Legion: "It Was A Really Fun Role"

With mutants coming to the MCU fans are on the edge of their seats waiting for the X-Men's debut. Stevens played David Haller aka Legion in the FX series Legion , the son of Charles Xavier. Although there has been no word about Legion joining the MCU, Stevens recalled how fun the role was and joked that he needed to corner Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy about getting him into the MCU.

Dan Stevens: It was a really fun role. I've never had anything like it come across my inbox, and it was such a fun gang to work with. The director of Deadpool is here tonight. I think we could maybe have a word. Do you think we should corner him and see what we can do? This is Vegas. We can sort this out.

Ironically Stevens reflected on advice that Levy gave him as an actor that helped him. So, while he may not be able to help him jump into the MCU Levy has had an impact on his career.

Dan Stevens: I think Shawn Levy, who's here tonight receiving an award, told me, "Don't blink as much." It's great advice. Sometimes you see inexperienced actors, and they just blink too much. I think I was guilty of that early in my career, and now I blink less thanks to Shawn Levy.

About Abigail

After a group of would-be criminals kidnap the 12-year-old ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, all they have to do to collect a $50 million ransom is watch the girl overnight. In an isolated mansion, the captors start to dwindle, one by one, and they discover, to their mounting horror, that they’re locked inside with no normal little girl.

Learn more information about Screen Rant 's Abigail set visit here and check out our interview with directors Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin .

Abigail hits theaters on April 19.

Source: Screen Rant Plus

Abigail (2024)

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Abigail is a 2024 horror thriller directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. The plot follows a group of people who kidnap the daughter of a dangerous crime lord only to discover that the little girl is actually a vicious vampire out for blood. Alisha Weir stars as the titular character alongside Kathryn Newton, Melissa Barrera, and Dan Stevens.