Le goût des jeunes filles

DIR: John L'Ecuyer | Canada/Quebec | 2004 | 88min
In French with English subtitles.

SHOWTIMES:
Thurs. Sept. 29 | 6:20pm | Granville 7 Cinema, Theatre 4
Sat. Oct. 2 | 12:00pm | Granville 7 Cinema, Theatre 1

The French-language debut of the director of Curtis' Charm is another chapter in the neverending epic that is the Canadian coming of age film. Based on the autobiographical novel by Dany Laferrière, the film is set in Haiti, 1971. Amidst dangerous political upheavals, sweet-natured 15-year-old Fanfan lives with his very religious and overly protective mother. His has a bad influence in his life in the form of his friend Gégé but his biggest distraction is the house of fun-loving young hotties who live across the street. Through a chain of misadventure one Friday night, Fanfan ends up hiding out from the brutal militia at the house across the street, and the four women stop being mythical creatures of his fantasies and become real people. At the end, Fanfan's relationship with women will never be the same and that's probably a good thing.

Though there isn't much that will surprise you in this good-natured film, the very real danger of the backdrop does creep in, adding a unique dimension to an otherwise routine story. Similarly, the gentle humour and the beautiful cinematography make the film worthwhile but not must-see.