Isabelle: Nuori & kaunis

An innocent teasing of the audience with a theme that never gets old. François Ozon understands women, and likes them better than Lars von Trier. That’s why he could shoot this film, which is all about the feelings of a seventeen-year-old girl drunk on her first encounters with adult matters. A seventeen-year-old that was curious about the men who would order the services of her body, about what it would be like with them in the darkened hotel rooms or on the leather backseats of their cars. To use the words of Charlotte Rampling, any girl with enough courage would have tried it. Not lack of self-esteem, but enough courage… The only emotional scene of the film is the fight with the weeping mother: “You broke my heart!” (09.12.2013)

A plan that you either endorse or... Or not. The heroine/tramp who looks like a clone of Julia Roberts, only years younger, remains impenetrable, as far as her motives are concerned, for the entire picture, so it’s up to the viewer what they think of her. She is a mirror that says more about you than about her. Theoretically at least, if you play Ozon’s game. I played Ozon’s game, but didn’t finish it, because in the end it is less refined than I expected from him and it comes across more intentionally superficial than natural. (20.01.2014)

You have to admit that Marine Vacth is charming and exudes a "decently provocative" sexuality, and she could instantly become one of the classic Bond girls from the past. Marine works as a model, as she knows how to pose and present herself well. Unlike other models, she is undoubtedly capable of delivering some acting performance, albeit limited. She simply doesn't look like the new Marion Cotillard. These types of girls are often heavily utilized in film in their youth and usually disappear from the screen at a certain age... As for the film itself - it is strange that I want to write again about Marine's sensuality... Ozon is undoubtedly a professional, but this film is not among his best pieces. It is unfinished, superficial, and psychologically implausible. A comparison with thematically related Belle de Jour by Buñuel logically suggests itself, but Buñuel clearly had something else in mind and his film was more thought-provoking, while Young & Beautiful perhaps only tempts masturbation... Ozon evidently aimed to provoke viewers with the theme of an underage prostitute from a respectable middle-class family. In France, as well as anywhere else in Western Europe, prostitution at a lower level is usually practiced by drug addicts and other "lowlifes," while at the higher level, it is composed of emigrants who cannot afford to lose their social prestige. A girl from a better family will damn well reconsider risking the loss of moral integrity, which could have a devastating impact on her professional career and current and future family. Isabelle doesn't offend me, but I also don't make excuses for her and her behavior, and I don't seek complex meanings where there most likely aren't any. Of course, you can endlessly debate the torn inner soul of a girl and talk about a deep dive into the female psyche, but I, on the other hand, see a bored Euro-brat, well materially provided for, who never knew real problems thanks to her family background, and consequently, responsibility... Considering Marine's physique, I remain at three stars, but without any enthusiasm. Overall impression: 50%. (03.12.2013)

François Ozon can direct, there's no doubt about that, but I can't help feeling that despite the interesting theme, once again, it seems like it wasn't fully mastered. The film is quite enjoyable to watch; you can see that the creators have developed characters well. However, I also had the feeling that it was cold and detached and that the sex with those older guys still felt kind of glossy. (01.08.2017)

An unflinching look at the sexuality of a 17-year-old girl. She may have grown up too fast for my taste, but let's face it, who among us didn't experiment in some way when we were her age? The plot twist in the middle of the story, caused by the sudden death of Isabella's client during coitus, snapped me out of my lethargy and I started to watch the film much more closely, which lasted until the very end. I appreciate that François Ozon doesn't try to moralize and leaves it purely up to the viewer to judge how to deal with not only Isabelle's somewhat promiscuous behavior. (24.04.2020)