Rent Girlhood (2014)

EXCELLENT COMING OF AGE TALE - Girlhood review by GF

Funny and sometimes moving coming of age tale, the lead character marieme is a black girl living with her family in a French tower block. Over the course of the movie she becomes the fourth member of a gang of girls, leaves school, meets her first love and dabbles in crime. Karidja Toure is suberb in the lead role, the music is excellent and this was righly widely praised on its rlease last year. See it,.

Girls from the Ghetto - Girlhood review by MW

A well observed and sensitive glimpse of what it's like to be a black teenage girl in the soulless concrete jungle of the Paris banlieue where hopes are dashed by a suffocating environment of bullying, misogyny and poor prospects. However, it's not all grim. Marieme is a shy beauty who finds camaraderie and an unexpected bravado when she joins a girl gang. Their youthful exuberance and devil-may-care attitude is delightful and joyous. But ultimately we are left with a sense that there's no way out from the grind of boredom, intimidation and petty crime for this ghettoised minority. The film is a celebration of life overlaid with a degree of sadness.

A good film that totally goes off the rails in the last third - Girlhood review by Timmy B

After the masterpiece of Tomboy, Celine Sciamma stays within a town, but this one is much more vibrant and full of youthful attitude & energy. The plot follows the life of a group of young black French women, primarily Marieme, as they grow up in a rough and dangerous part of Paris.

The film looks at the lack of opportunities for them and how they must adapt to be able to survive. There is an excellent soundtrack and as much as France has been repeatedly filmed in different ways, this does genuinely add a new and fun-filled view to the capital city. Whilst there was no doubt to Sciamma's incredible ability within film, this film reinforces her stunning talent.

However, this film then takes a totally stupid and random course of action for the last third: Marieme, from out of nowhere, makes a decision (no spoilers here,) which any sane and thoughtful person would never do in a million years. This decision is absolutely disastrous and the film totally loses its way because of it. And when that happens, I just lost all interest in it and, although I made it to the end, felt that it was ruined.

As much as there is lots to love and I would say to watch this film, sadly I cannot recommend it, despite the excellent beginning and middle.