La Belle Personne (The Beautiful Person)

In La Belle Personne, filmmaker Christophe Honor (Dans Paris, Les Chansons d?Amour), recasts the machinations and hothouse atmosphere of the 17th-century French court in a 21st century French high school and plays like a Gallic Gossip Girl. Based on the novel "La Princesse de Clves," the film focuses on a 16-year-old girl named Junie (La Seydoux) who must start at a new school after her mother has passed away. Her cousin Mathias introduces her to his friends, all of whom want to go out with her. She pledges herself to Otto Clves (Grgoire Leprince-Ringuet), an intense boy who soon decides Junie's head is with him while her heart is with another. The reason for this dilemma is that the school's Italian teacher Nemours (Louis Garrel, The Dreamers, Les Chansons d'Amour) who is not much older than the students themselves, has cast his eye on Junie and she returns his passion. However, she refuses to succumb to her feelings and consummate their relationship, since she is convinced that true happiness is just an illusion. La Belle Personne stylishly captures the self-absorbed interpersonal world of adolescents, taking place almost entirely inside the lyce, without a parent or any other outside influences. The soundtrack, featuring eerie tunes by Nick Drake, captures the romantic intrigue and sexual tension that are familiar to teenagers everywhere.

Directed by Christophe Honor, France, 2008, 35mm, 90 mins. In French with English subtitles.