Young & Beautiful

Year: 2013

Actors: Charlotte Rampling, Marine Vacth, Johan Leysen

Duration: 95 min

While on a summer vacation with her parents in the south of France on the Medditarian coast, 17-year-old Isabelle (Marine Vacht) decides to lose her virginity to a cute German teenage tourist named Felix (Lucas Prisor). The experience leaves her unsatisfied.By autumn, Isabelle is working as a prostitute at high-class hotels under the name Lea. Among Isabelle's clients is a 63-year-old man named Georges (Johan Leysen), whom she likes. He dies of a sudden heart attack while they are having sex with Isabelle on top. Isabelle tries to resuscitate him, then leaves.In winter, the police show up and inform her mother, Sylvie (Géraldine Pailhas), about Isabelle being a prostitute and her involvement with Georges' death. Sylvie flies into a rage and repeatedly slaps Isabelle before apologizing and grounding her. Isabelle is forced to give a statement to the police. She says she was first approached by a man on the street to have sex for money, but found it disgusting. After seeing a report about students making money as prostitutes she set up a website, bought a second cell phone and went into her own business. As a minor, Isabelle is technically the victim and will not be charged, but her mother will keep the money that Isabelle made.Sylvia takes Isabelle to see a therapist (Serge Hefez) to help her deal with what happened, including her guilt because she thinks she killed Georges.After Isabelle quits prostitution, she lives a normal teenage life and works as a babysitter. In the spring, she meets Alex (Laurent Delbecque) at a party and they start dating. They have sex with Isabelle on top and she has to help him out. Afterwards, she breaks up with Alex saying she does not love him.Isabelle reactivates her phone's SIM card and checks messages for Lea from clients. Georges's widow Alice (Charlotte Rampling) found Lea's number in her husband's address book and requested an appointment at the hotel. When she arrives, Alice explains the situation and says she wants to see the room and meet the girl Georges was with when he died. She does not blame Isabelle because she knew he saw other women, was ill with a heart condition and thinks dying while making love is a beautiful death. They go to the hotel room where Georges died and Alice tells Isabelle to leave her clothes on and lie with her on the bed. Isabelle says she needed to come here too. Alice kindly caresses Isabelle's face; Isabelle falls asleep. In the final shot, Isabelle wakes up the next morning alone, looking more at peace.

Genre: Action   Drama   Romance