Endless drama, perpetual pouting and nonstop narcissism in this epically tiresome movie from director Valerie Bruni-Tedeschi and screenwriter Agnes De Sacy about a generation of highly-strung and mercurially talented young drama students in the 1980s who are admitted to the prestigious acting school at Patrice Chéreau’s Theatre Des Amandiers in Nanterre.
Among the ranks of yearning and deeply serious hopefuls, Stella (Nadia Tereszkiewicz) is a passionate blonde star who is sort of embarrassed about the hugely wealthy home she comes from; Adèle (Clara Bretheau) is the rebellious, wacky figure who doesn’t wear knickers at the audition; Victor (Vassily Schneider) is a sweet-natured, klutzy boy; Étienne (Sofiane Bennacer) is the smack-addicted guy who starts going out with Stella, and his moody image and habit of shouting “Stella!” earn him the nickname Marlon Brando — the film’s one genuinely humorous moment.
The drama teacher Pierre Romans is played by Micha Lescot, and the legendary Chéreau is played with much smouldering imperious charisma by Louis Garrel.
