Mouchette

A typical Bresson, which is not a big positive in my book. I appreciate the fact that the man has a very particular, signature style, but it's pretty much the exact opposite of what I'm looking for in a film. Mouchette is poverty porn of the driest kind, a dreary film that feels cold and impersonal in every aspect.

Mouchette is a teen who's been dealt some pretty bad cards. Her mother is dying, her father doesn't really care for her. She has to deal with a lot of abuse and has no will to fight her destiny. Things get even worse when she meets Arsène, a man who believes he killed a local policeman and wants Mouchette to be his alibi.

It's a story of a girl who can't get a break, with little to no sympathy for any of the characters. The performances feel forced (but that's part of Bresson's style), the cinematography is dreary and the drama is well overdone. At least the film is short, but that's about the only positive thing here for me. Bresson and I just don't get along.