Naissance des Pieuvres (Water Lilies) (2007)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Veronique K

  
  "water lilies" is a coming-of-age lesbian tale, seemingly designed for the interests of certain restricted group of audience. but the issue of psychological developments is universally recognized rather than a propaganda to politically patronize a certain sort of lifestyle… More
  "water lilies" is a coming-of-age lesbian tale, seemingly designed for the interests of certain restricted group of audience. but the issue of psychological developments is universally recognized rather than a propaganda to politically patronize a certain sort of lifestyle as homosexual movies tend to be at the most of time. basically it's a story about a flat-chested lean-figured tomboyish girl's(marie) obssesion over the lead ballerina(floriane) in school's synchronized swimming team as well as her sympathetic friendship with her obese nymphomaniac friend (anne) who craves the attention of boys from sportsteam. marie has a crush over floriane as awestricken by floriane's fair poise around the pool, so she begs to be a groupie to watch them practice, then marie becomes the accomplice who connives floriane's promiscuity by being a front excuse to facilitate floriance making out with her male pursuers. angered by floriane's apathetic usage, marie decides to walk off the set, but disuaded by floriane. then eventually the charm gal, the proud queen bee starts to confess how sexually frigid she is, afraid to bleed by penetration(the truth is she's a virgin) but she has to act sluttish so she could remain her reputation as the most wanted girl in school. so marie gets to be acquainted with her crush who's in need of companionship since all the girls hates this flaunting "floozie". one day floriane requests the shocking impossible, she wants to be deflowered by marie. meanwhile marie's overweight friend who suffers from the common nymphomaniac sympton in adolescence gets laid with floriane's boyfriend who's agitated by floriane's constant refusal after being aroused so often so he seeks whoever's handy over there for instant gratification. so what would happen to these three young girls who seem to be dazed by their present loss of orientation in life? there's nothing sensual about water lilies since none of these females enjoy the notion of sex, and sex is more of a political instrument to announce your status among the peers. ironically the glamourous aphrodite's frightened by sex despite the enormous sex appeal she radiates. even the lovelorn fat girl doesn't love sex but repulsed over it afterwards. sex is nothing enjoyable but an approach to reassure your self-worth or demonstration of your personal buoyancy. womanhood is something they fear but pathetically confined by the attention of opposite sex since girls would also judge and discriminate each other by the popularity with boys. it's a grim truth of puberty, totally salvage and politically incorrect. those who live thru or survive over such brutal mental ordeal fledge into womanhood; those who don't just conform to the gender system on the surface despite numerous issues with men (sex frigidity may be one thing) or choose the path of lesbianism. that's the awkward fact most women wanna bury deeply within you when you attain the state of full blossom. undeniably this movie still sets out in the perspective of lesbian, marie, whose world has no consequence with boys, but she's also rejected and withdrawn from the mainstream, alone and friendless, except her companionship with another discriminated girl who's being rebuffed for her body shape. none of them truthfully care for boys who are only signifiers for social functionality. (and the boys don't care about girls except for their sex?) marie is the only one who's true to herself, willing to reconcile that but she's devastated by this system. is it saying lesbianism is the truth of life? or this is a movie about three half-baked little lesbians and their issue to come out of closet? so it's after all a homosexual-centered movie without universal consensus? perhaps sometimes repressed love might have more sparkles of smoldering intensities than the usual love affairs, romantic in its autistically volcanic way. footnote: repressed love sucks. it's better to have no love at all in you, whether it's straight love or homo-love. just as "mad men" says in its first episode: INVENTED WANT, just like advertisement.

• Anthony L

  
  I have never been a 15 year old girl unsure of my sexuality and yet I strangely felt a connection and an understanding with this film. That is this films strength and why Céline Sciamma's debut should be celebrated. It brings back very strong memories of adolescence, puberty and… More
  I have never been a 15 year old girl unsure of my sexuality and yet I strangely felt a connection and an understanding with this film. That is this films strength and why Céline Sciamma's debut should be celebrated. It brings back very strong memories of adolescence, puberty and the confusion that goes with it. I've said it before, there is nothing more pathetic than a 16 year old boy in love and I guess the same goes for girls too! It is quite slow to start, with melancholy mood. It is also quite brutal at times and often difficult to watch, all adding to its overall impact. While at times it does grab your attention as much as it should, it is always beautiful to watch, the underwater scenes are particularly well done. As debuts go it is very impressive and I look forward to seeing more from the relatively young director.

• Randy T

  
  Céline Sciamma's coming of age melodrama that's titillating in it's sexual ambiguity. Céline expends a lot of screen-time fostering the tension between her characters, so much so that it comes off a little sappy and pretentious. Still, the film works well and should… More
  Céline Sciamma's coming of age melodrama that's titillating in it's sexual ambiguity. Céline expends a lot of screen-time fostering the tension between her characters, so much so that it comes off a little sappy and pretentious. Still, the film works well and should be a sign of good things to come from this young and obviously talented director.

• Nani V

  
  A coming of age movie about two friends who are going through the struggles of fitting in and being wanted. They go through it differently, one wants a boy who is not at all interested in her and the main character is infatuated with a pretty girl who gets all the boys attention. This… More
  A coming of age movie about two friends who are going through the struggles of fitting in and being wanted. They go through it differently, one wants a boy who is not at all interested in her and the main character is infatuated with a pretty girl who gets all the boys attention. This film surprised me, I didn't expect to really like it, but I do.

• Rubia Carolina .

  
  The typical beautiful, sexy and mean teenager girl that all boys want to sleep with and that girls hate for being a bitchy. <br/>A beautiful skinny kid look-a-like outsider girl and her dumb and over weight (of course!) friend. The "friendship redemption" at the end.… More
  The typical beautiful, sexy and mean teenager girl that all boys want to sleep with and that girls hate for being a bitchy. <br/>A beautiful skinny kid look-a-like outsider girl and her dumb and over weight (of course!) friend. The "friendship redemption" at the end. The swimming-pool first representing unbreathing situations, always enclosed into the fake and hard world of the synchronized swimming, turns out to bring some relief at the end of the film, showed in all its large extension for the first time . Marie washing her mouth in the swimming-pool afetr kissing Floriane was one of the strongest and significative scenes. <br/> <br/>All the expected, but pretty good as well. Fucking Åmål (which I think it´s superior) without parents intervention, judgements and a "happy" end. <br/> <br/><br/>

• Gordon A

  
  Honest portrayal of the horrors of puberty, french style. The lead has a restrained acting style which felt bland to me. Haenel could be the new Ludivine Sagnier. Nice soundtrack.

• Mark A

  
  A tender coming of age film in which teenage angst plays out in the lives of three girls. Ms Haenele, as Floriane, is a beautful young woman who attracts the wrong kind of attention wherever she goes. Ms Acquart nails the gawky younger girl, Marie, infatuated with the beautiful… More
  A tender coming of age film in which teenage angst plays out in the lives of three girls. Ms Haenele, as Floriane, is a beautful young woman who attracts the wrong kind of attention wherever she goes. Ms Acquart nails the gawky younger girl, Marie, infatuated with the beautiful Floriane. And Louise Blachere, as Anne, is the dorky friend of Marie who just wants boys to notice her. Painfully awkward at times, the brutal honesty of the film continually amazed this viewer. One only wonders where the parents are. We never see any. Addresses teen sexuality without flinching and without resorting to prurience. Helps one understand how complex our world has become and how difficult it can be to find one's place in the world.

• Walter M

  
  [font=Century Gothic]"Water Lilies" starts with a sychronized swim meet that Marie(Pauline Acquart) attends to cheer on her friend Anne(Louise Blachere) but instead her attention is focused on Floriane(Adele Haenel), the captain of the junior team. Infatuated, she… More
  [font=Century Gothic]"Water Lilies" starts with a sychronized swim meet that Marie(Pauline Acquart) attends to cheer on her friend Anne(Louise Blachere) but instead her attention is focused on Floriane(Adele Haenel), the captain of the junior team. Infatuated, she insinuates herself into Floriane's life, starting at a party where she asks if she can watch her practice. She agrees, getting her into the facility and even inviting Marie into the water for a better look. Later, Floriane uses Marie as an excuse to get out of the house, so she can spend some intimate time with her boyfriend Francois(Warren Jacquin)...[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]"Water Lilies" is an understated yet provocative coming of age drama.(This goes without saying for any movie that is as direct as this one in exploring teen sexuality.) These characters are at an age when though not quite women, are starting to take an interest in others of the same age, when swimming is no longer just fun for them, now packaged into a competition.(To the movie's credit, there is almost no interest in who wins.) At the same time, return interest or lack of any gives them insecurities about how they perceive their own bodies which is not helped by the conspicuous absence of adults to guide them. This not only affects Marie and Anne who are drawn to Floriane and Francois for this very reason(it is a little contrived how this works out in the movie) but also Floriane who becomes much more interesting when she is no longer just a cipher. Due to her beauty, she is perceived by the other girls as a slut, something she does not dissuade them from while trying to avoid the role that society has dictated for her. [/font]

• Janice :

  
  Interesting coming-of-age story about a young girl named Marie who finds herself having feelings towards a female swimmer. Also included are snippets of teenage sexuality, however foreshadowed by Marie's conflicts. Story was dull, I won't hide it. But the visuals were… More
  Interesting coming-of-age story about a young girl named Marie who finds herself having feelings towards a female swimmer. Also included are snippets of teenage sexuality, however foreshadowed by Marie's conflicts. Story was dull, I won't hide it. But the visuals were amazing and unusually vivid. Overall, certainly not the best french film I have seen this year!

• Ina S

  
  Beautiful film about adolescence, friendship and the sexual awakening of three very different girls. Very accurate in its portrayal of all the pain and turmoil of puberty. Actually quite amazing for a film school graduation project - well done, well acted, beautiful direction.

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