Rebelle Adolescence

A film with a hippie vibe (though nothing really to do with the hippie period) and a distinctly European feel that unfortunately takes it to the very extreme in places in terms of its depressing quality and devaluation of the dignity of some of the characters. I don't want to claim that Mouth to Mouth sounds unrealistic, quite the contrary – if the intention of the filmmakers was to make anti-sectarian agitprop, they succeeded very well indeed, because I hope there are very few of us who would want to have anything to do with such a group. Personally, I don't mind depressing, gritty films that are relentless in their portrayal of their characters and don't give the viewer much room for relief (like Breaking the Waves or The Celebration) as long as they are conceived in a believable and non-superficial way. I can't even say exactly what went wrong here, but it just came across to me at certain points as shallow and calculated, which I hate in dramas and simply can't forgive. Otherwise, though, I can recommend it as a very demonstrative example of how people can be manipulated – how easy it actually is if you know how. 2.5 stars (11/09/2011)