Fat Girl (2001)

Gonzalez praises the film as a startling, insightful exploration of sexual awakening and survival. He singles out Breillat’s deceptively simple storytelling and Anaïs’s perspective for making the film’s confrontational sexual journey compelling.

Thomas presents the film as a compelling, unsettling exploration of vulnerability, fate, and self-reliance. He praises Breillat’s fascinated observation of the seduction and the sisters’ complicated bond, while noting that the shocking ending may polarize audiences.

Cockrell finds the film a provocative, haunting step in Breillat’s work, though its deliberate pacing and subject matter may unsettle viewers. He particularly praises Anaïs Reboux’s dignified, inscrutable performance.

Stratton finds the film affecting and considers it one of Breillat’s most successful explorations of female sexuality, despite a disappointing, arbitrary-feeling ending. He praises the frankness and skill of the storytelling, along with Roxane Mesquida’s bold performance.

This is a Berlin competition review of the matching 2001 film, but the critic’s verdict is not visible in the available text. The paywall also obscures what the critic singles out for praise or complaint.

The article is identified as a film-festival review, but its text is unavailable here. I cannot determine the critic’s verdict or what the review singles out for praise or complaint.

The available page does not reveal the critic’s verdict. No specific praise or complaint can be identified from the accessible text.

Tobias finds the film tense and subtle for most of its running time, but says its finale makes it repellent. He particularly praises the central scene of sexual negotiation for its intricate depiction of emotional exploitation.

The critic finds the film provocative and flawed, with its ending and Elena’s characterization undermining its credibility. Breillat’s direction and the young leads’ performances receive particular praise.