sharky_55 It's a familiar story no doubt. New exotic girl arrives at school - she's rebellious, feisty, carefree, attractive - an instant hit, in other words. But she has a horrible secret that could rip these relationships apart. The most telling moment that convinces us of this truth is near the end as Sarah quietly whispers into Charlie's ear all these terrible little things that slowly build and build until they become more than just bullying or patronising. In that moment I almost feel inclined to do what Charlie does. The rest of the conflict is silly high school stuff that doesn't really drive towards that tragic ending. Spreading rumours and insulting via graffiti doesn't mean the end of the world. The film is shot with a penchant for naturalism, like many indie dramas do these days, which means the camera nervously observes these intimate moments like a fly on the wall. But Laurent seems to contradict this style at will, with inserts of shots that are clearly planned from the get go. The plane with Sarah in it roaring overhead a despondent Charlie, using architectural frames to indicate figurative distance despite literal closeness, and making Sarah hover like a ghost over Charlie until she fades away and out of focus. The most egregious of these however is the way "We are Young" ironically flares in the background of the pulsing club whilst Charlie cowers, chilled by the threat on her life. This seems to be a rather deliberate bypass of the style which forbids non-diegetic music. The two young leads do a great job, but the emotional distress becomes near insufferable with the repeated gasps and high pitch whines that shout out what to feel. And in the constant smash cuts that seem to think that less is more and urge our imaginations to fill in the gaps with horrors of our own, what really happens is the shallowness of the narrative is exposed.

thegort It starts out rather breezy, like an Eric Rohmer film of yore--sunny vacation days at the seaside, relationships not quite in sync, a highly observant drama with beautiful young actors in in believable situations. Soooo French. Will there be a moral to this tale? I will not spoil any further, but suffice it to say that it becomes MUCH more intense, and totally spellbinding.The acting is phenomenal. The direction stunning, from Melanie Laurent, still in her 30's, a familiar actress who has graced many a production since 1999. (Although NOTHING could have saved the cosmically terrible Inglorious Basterds).Don't miss this one if nuanced characterizations and intricate plots appeal to you.

Eugene Mannacio If you are an adult, mature enough to find teenage silliness boring, the first part of this movie will seem a bit slow paced. Once the pathological relationship between Sarah and Charlie become clear it will evince somewhat more interest. But I think the "surprise" ending will not prove to be a surprise to most intelligent adult viewers. And when it's all over you may justifiably ask yourself, what was the purpose of this movie? Entertainment? Only for those who find themselves entertained by a rather lurid world of teenage passions. I hope you're not sitting next to one of those. A cautionary tale for parents? Hardly. A character portrayal in which one can empathize with the difficulties of the two girls because their high school experience is so much like our own, or like others we knew? Not very likely. So the movie, if it serves any purpose at all, is for the vicarious enjoyment of a seemly existence and its consequences. At many points in the movie you are almost sure to ask yourself whether Charlie couldn't have made much better decisions in her relationship with Sarah. The class, at the beginning of the movie, which tells the students (and surely warns the rest of us) that passion and intellect cannot coexist is certainly a very French view and this comment is surely meant to underline the rest of the movie. Perhaps if this were the inflamed passion of adults, as in the Postman Only Rings Twice, this forewarning would be appropriate - but unnecessary. Here it is needed but doesn't help.

Reno Rangan Very close to being a French version of the 2003 movie 'Thirteen'. About two 17-year-old girls, Charlie, a privacy girl with the asthma and the new arrival, Sarah, a sarky with the mystery background. A fresh friendship bloom unexpectedly between them, they begin to share everything. As fast they become close, the each others secret reveals, with the same speed a series of conflict forces them away with hatreds. Once again a movie based on the novel of the same name. Melanie Laurent's 2nd movie from the director's chair and she outclassed it.Intense drama, from the beginning to the end. The story concentrates only these two girls, their first meet, relationship development and the story's conclusion. Very rarely other characters come into the frame with little to deliver speech and exhibit the act. The first half of the film exactly like the first half of the 'Heavenly Creatures'. Closely showcases the two girl's establishments of an unbreakable bond who do lots of mischievous stuffs together. And the second half was like the second half of 'Thirteen'. The fierce battle like environment like the usual catfight, but fairly avoids the overdose which makes a worthy whole.With you, I feel bad. I lie, I am hard. You make me play the bad guy. It's unbearable. What makes a two best friends (girls) hate each other, a boy? That's how the story switched from one way to another, a turning point in the storytelling. But this film was not all about fighting for a boy, there's something else which was the backbone to the narration. Weaknesses becomes a pointed gun to the face to deal with. The circle of to be victimized and be a victim was relatively balanced. The incomprehensible teen emotions take the story with the sequences of blames and absolves.What I don't get is in the most of the movies is at the end why the film character sees the camera. This doubt is because the whole film explains something, but that final frame gives a different dimensional meaning. Maybe the indication of reform, like that happens in the coming-of-age movies either good way or bad. So, according to this movie... Sorry, you have watch to know it.Impressive display by the lead two girls. Music, locations, everything was fine and holds the story till the last minute with same the intensity, then all the sudden releases it with a shocking twist. It was so quick and unexpected at that moment. So there's where I was disappointed a bit. The end should have been a more suitable one than preferable for a strong finish. But no complaints for the rest, a good teen drama which presents the evolution of love and trust to hate and disgust between two characters.7/10