2013 Cannes Critics’ Panel Day 2: Francois Ozon’s Young & Beautiful (Jeune & Jolie)

For a third consecutive year, we bring back our twice daily, five-star system, critical snapshot of the Main Competition selected films (16 films in all) as rated by our group of 16 film critics. Joining IONCINEMA.com’s Nicholas Bell, Blake Williams and I, we once again find Christophe Beney, David Calhoun, Per Juul Carlsen, Mike D’Angelo, Carlos F. Heredero, Eric Kohn, Fabien Lemercier, Guy Lodge, Lin Min, Isabelle Regnier and Cedric Succivalli. Added to the group, we’d like to welcome Aaron Hillis and Neil Young to the ’13 edition of esteemed critics.

Technically not the first title out of the gate (as Amat Escalante’s Heli received an early preview the night before) this morning’s first 8:30a.m screening belonged to a contempo “Belle de Jour” with director-screenwriter Francois Ozon’s Young & Beautiful (Jeune & Jolie) which stars the exceptionally beautiful Marine Vacth in the role of a seventeen year-old sex-ploration of self – a theme that Ozon has visited several times before, most recently in 2003’s Swimming Pool starring Ludivine Sagnier. Our critics pretty much had a similar response to the first a.m crowd, warmed up to the portrait, which is sectioned off in four seasons, ultimately following her journey from virgin to seasoned pro. Oddly humorous in spots, there is a sincere attempt at examining how a small percentile use their body, naïveté, and beauty to their advantage. Perfect filler in a Cannes edition where several folks were looking forward to Lars Von Trier’s Nymphomaniac. Click on the image below for the latest set of critic panel grades.