Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

So much average

Good concept, poorly executed.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Growing up on an estate, young Marieme finds herself leaving education, isolated within her own community, and stressed by those many forces on her. When she gets a new group of friends, she finds herself drawn into this new group of girls, changing her lifestyle as a result.Perhaps overpraised when it was released, I was pretty impressed by this film once I got to see it. It is an odd mix and one that is defined by the music and visual heavy opening; this is an approach that the film frequently takes – which is to have fun and stylish moments amid the crime, violence, and sense of oppression that exists otherwise. In some ways one could accuse the film of glamorizing this world, however what it is actually doing is presenting it in a natural and convincing way. By letting us in on the fun and comradery of Marieme's group, the film shows us why she is drawn into it, and the contrast between what she has otherwise. This is not the film saying that the gang is a better option, or a healthy one, but it does help us understand what is going on with the characters.These moments of style and fun also prop up the feeling of the estates as a real place. The pressure on the women in the film is tangible, and the nature of the world is played out well. It is a gritty and quite raw picture and one that works. In the lead Touré does well with the journey from child, to girl, to violence, and into a place that is really none of them but is informed by a wisdom that she hard earns. She is well supported by the rest of the cast – with Sylla being one standout. As a whole the film is well balanced and delivers a natural and engaging coming of age story.

I was deeply moved by one scene in this film - the "Diamonds" dance scene between the bande de filles - that I felt really made this movie, an acceptable offering, something special. I was nearly in tears. Here you have these girls from an impoverished area, left to their own devices and self-defense in a rough and tumble world that has zero positive expectations for them. All they have is each other to make them feel of value. Stealing tight dresses from the mall and dancing together to a song that would have them feel beautiful in a society that has them feeling anything but. Really poignant what the director created there. I felt more could have been done with the film. The second half failed the first, in my opinion. But the characters were multi-faceted, the acting and dialogue were realistic. I hope to see more films like this.

Where THE FALLING failed to engage me on an emotional level, GIRLHOOD provided that in spades. It tells the story of Marieme (Karidja Toure), a young girl on the cusp of becoming a woman. Like pretty much every person, she wants to find a place in the world and be happy, and the film is basically an exploration of how she tries to achieve those goals. The major thing standing in the way, one of the cold truths about how the real world works, is that not only is she a female, but a minority female as well. She goes through all of the usual difficulties in addition to ones unique to people of color. For instance, because of her low grades in junior high (or at least the French equivalent), an unseen school counselor suggests that she go to vocational school instead of moving on to lycee (high school), which Marieme rejects. Her path to self-realization is an arduous and emotionally difficult one in which she encounters sexism and abuse, but still manages to soldier on. Her story is the story of many young women and, for that reason, it should resonate with many people regardless of cultural boundaries. From a technical perspective, the production values were impeccable and all of the performances were perfect, with a degree of authenticity I haven't seen in a while. Every bit of dialogue felt realistic, and the actors were even able to convey a lot through equally deft physical performances. I also quite liked the score and soundtrack. The only reservation I have is that the narrative is a bit unbalanced in how much time it devotes to each phase of Marieme's "becoming," but this is otherwise a phenomenal effort from all involved. For whatever reason, this got no love from the Academy, but GIRLHOOD is definitely worth your time.

French screenwriter and director Céline Sciamma's third feature film which she wrote, is vocally communicated by non-actors. It premiered in the Directors' Fortnight section at the 67th Cannes International Film Festival in 2014, was screened in the Contemporary World Cinema section at the 39th Toronto International Film Festival in 2014, was shot on locations in France and is a French production which was produced by producer Bénédicte Couvreur. It tells the story about a group of adolescent girls who lives in the suburbs of Paris, France.Distinctly and precisely directed by French filmmaker Céline Sciamma, this quietly paced fictional tale which is narrated mostly from the main character's point of view, draws a distinguishably perspicacious portrayal of a sixteen-year-old sister whom is searching for an education. While notable for its atmospheric milieu depictions and distinct cinematography by cinematographer Crystel Fournier, this character-driven and narrative-driven story about French youth and ingenious female empowerment which is characterized by the signature of a professional filmmaker, depicts a perceptibly present study of character and contains a great and timely score by composer Jean-Babtiste Laubier.This authoritatively authentic fictionalization of real life which is set in France in the 21st century and where a human being is introduced to a ten letter word starting with the character f, is impelled and reinforced by its cogent narrative structure, substantial character development, rhythmic continuity, acutely realized frames and the reverent acting performances by Karidja Touré and Assa Sylla. A cinematically surpassing narrative feature which gained, among other awards, the Bronze Horse for Best Film at the 25th Stockholm International Film Festival in 2014.