Set me Free (Emporte-moi)

rated - TEPID

I saw this film at the 1999 Sydney Film Festival. Why has it taken so long to get a release here? This is what I wrote then:

"Set me Free (director: Léa Pool, Canada/ France/ Switzerland)

After all the troubles in I Stand Alone [Gaspar Noé, 1998] , the family in this film seemed to have life pretty sweet, so it was hard for me torecalibrate and appreciate the growing pains of this young girl. Still, it was a lovely performance by Karine Vanasse as Hanna. In fact the whole cast were excellent, and the characterisation was particularly strong.

The setting is Montréal, in 1963. The story is fairly simple, but the motivations and characters are complex and interesting. The film had a nice arc of development, but I must admit to being a bit shocked when Hanna's brief attempt at prostitution was
not specifically addressed by any of the adults...but perhaps that's just the point.

Set Me Free was well shot, with excellent music, and effective use of excerpts from Godard's Vivre sa Vie [Jean-Luc Godard, 1962]. My only worry is that when Hanna gets a movie camera at the end it seems as if this will be her salvation - and that's too pat a resolution by far.