FAT GIRL (French) (2001)

A disturbingly tragic and shocking film about adolescent sexuality of two sibling sisters; the elder one is less than sixteen, attractive, proportionate in figure and more desirable and the younger one is twelve years old, fat, average looking but more individualistic in her approach towards sex. Though it has depiction of explicit nudity in long scenes, it didn’t give you any sort of erotic feel. Don’t confuse sexual issue with sexy film. It’s not a film for compulsive or obsessed porn maniacs but mature audience who want to hear the individualistic feminine voice with close and intimate detailing directed by a female filmmaker who’s often preoccupied with challenging sexual themes.

Contemporary cinema’s one of the most controversial filmmaker Catherine Breillat dealt a very delicate and complex subject of sibling rivalry and early teenage sexuality from two young girls’ perspective. Breillat kept the portrayal of fat and younger sister Anais so sensitively and sympathetically in convincing manner. She’s silent observer witnessing her elder sister’s intercourse with her boyfriend. On the contrary the elder sister loves to take more liberty with her libido trying to seek mythical ‘love in sex’ during her first sexual encounter. Anais is too young and not mature enough to think what to do with her emerging sexual urges and yet she’s very clear about it. In the very beginning of the film she tells her elder sister, “Personally, I want my first time to be with any boy I don’t love.” And we witness exactly the disturbing encounter of her wish fulfillment in the end when she ended up being raped with quite unresisting consensus. For her rape is like liberation of her repressed urge of body and mind. Yet she comes out as strong individual girl who doesn’t want to sleep with any male and refused to be an emotional fool and sexual victim like her gullible elder sister.

Another important theme of the film is society’s set parameters about ideal body image of woman. Does fat girl seek same male gaze or attention or social image? On the other hand most of the time they have to confront and accept the ugly reality. The last freezing frame of the film compels us to think hard about poor but smarter Anais who refused being raped to cops. Punching stroke of final frame!

Eager to watch other Breillat films…

Ratings- 7.5/10