Hell

Hell
Bruno Chiche :: France :: 2005 :: 1h40

Teenage author Lolita Pille's tale of a confused, rebellious, wealthy young girl -nicknamed Hell- who falls into a disastrous relationship with a ditto young man leading their lives, as drugged-up pests, into unhappiness. Even with a lot of goodwill, it is difficult to work your way into the minds of the main characters, who, besides the complexities of adolescent life are just too flat. Sulking and breaking something may be a common trait of frustration, but it does not make worthwhile cinema. The bland characters do, however, fit well into the background... they are supposed to move in privileged Parisian circles which should have been emphasized by choosing truely unique locations. It would have re-enforced the story if the locations both separate and unite us with the characters, to make them one of us but in an inaccessible parallel world. Unfortunately this is not the case, rather, the movie suffers from repetitive scenes which cause boredom rather than atmosphere. It is tempting to suggest that teenage authors should stay just that (or bloggers) rather than attempting the cross over into cinema. Perhaps the movie could have been saved, but then again, perhaps it was doomed from the start. In any case, not enough effort went into this one.