Water Lilies (FRENCH) DVD

(Naissance des Pieuvres)

DVD Review by Kam Williams



Headline: DVD Features French Teens Exploring Sexuality in Coming-of-Age Drama



Marie (Pauline Acquart) is passing the lazy, hazy days of summer at the local pool where she goes to watch her best friend, Anne (Louise Blachere), practice synchronized swimming. The sexually-awakening 15 year-olds, are social zeros who can barely contain the simmering passion they feel for the oblivious objects of their affection.

Anne has her eyes set on Francois (Warren Jacquin), a handsome lad on the boy’s squad. However, because she’s overweight, he barely seems to notice her. Instead, he spends his time chasing flirtatious Floriane (Adele Haenel), the gorgeous captain who’s very popular with all the guys.

Meanwhile, the skinny and barely pubescent Marie has lust in her budding loins for the fetching Floriane, but the latent lesbian is yet to reveal her suppressed leanings to anyone, let alone the female whose body she craves. Initially, she is simply satisfied with striking up a platonic relationship with Flo, but that liaison soon proves frustrating.

Thus, raging hormones is the prevailing theme of Water Lilies, a tale of the loss-of-innocence set in an otherwise unremarkable suburb of Paris. With virtually no adult supervision in sight, this novel adventure explores teen libido and angst from a variety of adolescent angles.

The plot thickens when Floriane informs Marie that even though Francois has been pressuring her to have sex, she’s saved herself and remained a virgin. Since Flo hasn’t gone gaga over any boy, does that mean she might be gay or bisexual and that Marie therefore still stands a chance afterall? And does this also mean that Anne has a shot at stealing away her dreamboat, provided she’s willing to let him have his way with her?

Jailbait gone wild, Parisian-style.



Excellent (4 stars)

Unrated

In French with subtitles.

Running time: 86 minutes

Studio: Koch Lorber Films

DVD Extras: Deleted scenes, casting session and theatrical trailer.



To see a trailer of Water Lilies, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OakOgtZphN4