Orso (Malgras) is a teenage runaway who's supporting himself through petty burglary, and is determined to buy a gun. Marie is a Lolitaesque 14-year-old, hanging out in a Mediterranean resort with the sailors from an American naval base who drive Cadillacs and tap-dance in the mess-hall. The two outsiders overcome their initial distrust for one another and escape to a remote island. But their love affair is destined to end in tragedy.
This mixture of brutality and sensuality is another example of French cinema's abiding preoccupation with doomed youth. The circular narrative, the jagged editing, the mythical references and the sun-drenched widescreen cinematography all combine to lend it the quality of a fevered dream.
Yet, although both the young leads are convincing in their moodiness, there are several superfluous subplots. As a result, Pradal's first feature lacks the poignancy of the recently released The Dream Life Of Angels, which deals with the subject of disaffected youth much more effectively.
