Sorry, this movie sucks

Better Late Then Never

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

This is one of those typical pretentious, overrated French (wannabe)"arthouse" movies that make you regret wasting your time on it. It confirms all the negative stereotypes about arthousefilms. It's just so bad, it's uncomfortable to watch.All the main characters in this film are very unsympathetic. Maybe all French people are (I hope not!), but the lead girl just behaved like a spoiled bitch and her loverboy had no heart or backbone whatsoever. And he was ugly to boot! French "heroines" always seem to be incredible bitches, except for Joan of Arc perhaps, but in this movie you see another of those typical French "difficult" women (in this case a euphemism for bitch). There's no good reason to like her. So if you're into watching films with reasonably recognizable or likeable main characters avoid this pretentious drivel at all cost.What I also hate about this movie is that it shows a dreamworld, but one completely without imagination. They just left things out, like parents and responsibility for your actions and inactions.If you want to watch a nice french movie you're better off with the Taxi films, at least they don't have as much pretense as this piece of trash.The problem is, in France movies and other "artforms" are subsidized by the government to favor them over foreign material (pure protectionism but somehow they get away with it despite being part of the European Union). So they keep making this crap, even though I suspect not even the French watch it!!!2 out of 10 because I have seen even worse

This is truly a film about what it is like to be a teenager. Nothing is trivialized and none of the characters are "heroes." The protagonist is only that because she is the most interesting and accurate depiction of how a teenager sees life. These children have grown up quickly and at the age of fourteen, they view life with the skepticism of adults but lack the wisdom and the compassion that age garners. To say they are shallow and self-absorbed is a cop-out. Of course they are. That's the point. They see that they have matured physically but fail to realize they are still essentially children psychologically. They are eager to test out their newfound independence and their roles as young adults, particularly with sex. Marie realizes that she can use her body to get what she wants from some of the naval men in the area, but she is still too young to understand the price she is paying for their gifts. Orso has been picking pockets and burglarizing homes for some time and decides to up the ante with by packing a pistol. Their love is not the mature and caring relationship. They are in love the way every teenager is, that is to say that they think they are and with their hormones pounding, who's to say they're wrong. Similar to Kids or Gummo, the film to which it has been likened, Marie Baie des Anges shows the teenage years as a critical period in life. A teenager is still afflicted with the rashness of youth, but their actions suddenly have life-altering consequences.

This movie promises much but delivers only beautiful scenery of the southern France. We were expecting something along the line of "The Blue Lagoon" spiced with French subtlety, but received a chaotic cocktail of random scenes from the life of a group of disturbed kids. The director was desperately trying to make an artistic movie, but had nothing to say. Everything here is forced, dialogs are stale, the characters' motivations are nonsensical. The only thing the movie has going for it is the beautiful scenery and good camera work.

In the edenic French seaside seen in this film, I wonder if the American Naval men in this film are symbolic of the "conquering Americans" who run the danger of overwhelming the "innocent beauty" that are other nations. I might be reading too much into it, but when you think about it, they could have been any group of soldiers/sailors from any country. Imposing male lust knows no national boundaries.