Water Lilies | 
 enlarge | Director: Céline Sciamma
Actors: Pauline Acquart, Louise Blachère, Adele Haenel, Warren Jacquin, Christelle Baras
Studio: Koch Lorber Films
Category: DVD
List Price: $26.98
Buy New: $13.97
You Save: $13.01 (48%)
New (40) Used (12) from $10.00
Rating:  3 reviews
Sales Rank: 33423
Format: Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: French (Original Language), English (Subtitled)
Rating: Unrated
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 85
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: 3147
UPC: 741952314790
EAN: 0741952314790
ASIN: B001AZ5IV0
Theatrical Release Date: 2007
Release Date: September 2, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW AND FACTORY SEALED!
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Product Description
Studio: Koch International Release Date: 09/02/2008 Run time: 86 minutes
Amazon.com
Director Céline Sciamma's feature debut, Water Lilies, recalls the intimacy of teenage friendship as it tells the story of three girls grappling with their newly formed sexual identities in suburban Paris. Opening with scenes of the local high school's synchronized swimming team, Water Lilies stars Marie (Pauline Acquart), coveting a spot on the sophisticated female sports team. Her best friend, Anne (Louise Blachère), is non-athletic and grows increasingly disturbed as Marie courts swim team captain, sexy Floriane (Adele Haenel), to secure a place in the popular group. However, as Marie and Floriane grow closer, Marie learns hard lessons about loyalty and bonds girls develop at this crucial life stage. Water Lilies is stylishly filmed, with slow, rolling scenes reminiscent of Sofia Coppola's film, The Virgin Suicides. A charming shot of Marie, for example, kicking her legs up in the bath as her pet turtle swims around her exemplifies the cute, acutely personal tone this film cultivates. All three girls, but especially Floriane, exude hipster appeal that is greatly enhanced by a subtle lesbian subtext that underlies their love triangle conflict. As borders between friendship and attraction melt away, Water Lilies becomes testament to the unique intimacy that females can achieve. Unlike Sofia Coppola's films, which tend to gloss over character depth in favor of pinpointing fashionable aspects of melancholy, this film's narrative unfolds craftily, through quiet dialogue between the girls that show how deeply each cares for the other. Scenes in locker rooms and swimming pools alone, as the "synchro" girls travel for competitions, get costumed, and practice their routines, make Water Lilies enjoyable. Even more rewarding, however, is Sciamma's ability to turn teenage identity crisis into something humorous, while still conveying its severity and high-stakes outcomes. --Trinie Dalton
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| Customer Reviews:
 Water Lilies: French Girls Blooming with Desire. November 18, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
It is no coincidence that 27-year-old Céline Sciamma's 2007 film debut, Water Lilies (Naissance des Pieuvres, which translates as Birth of Octopuses), takes its English name from Claude Monet's series of famous oil paintings. Water Lilies tells the story of three beautiful French girls blooming together in water. The subtle French film premiered at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, where it was a contender for the Caméra d'Or, and it received three nominations for the 2008 César Awards. Set primarly in a swimming pool locker room in Paris, the Belgian drama is a coming-of-age story culminating in the sexual awakenings of three 15-year-old female friends over the course of a languorous summer. Marie (Pauline Acquart), Anne (Louise Blachère) and Floriane (Adele Haenel) unexpectedly discover love, friendship, manipulation, betrayal, and sexuality while competing together in synchronized swimming. Acquart has the classic beauty of a young Scarlett Johansson. While Céline Sciamma shows real promise as a filmmaker, her first film--despite all of its revelations-- ultimately lacks the sexual depths of a Catherine Breillat film. Recommended.
G. Merritt
 Best for Man Haters September 21, 2008
3 out of 9 found this review helpful
This is a very enjoyable movie, especially if you hate men including young boys. Though the performances are very good and the girls lovely and very appealing, the plot is clearly contrived to degrade men, especially very young boys. They are incapable of love or intimate communication, only want sex and always hurt the girls they persue, both physcially and emotionally. The message is clearly stated -- the only true love is lesbian love. Still it's a well made watchable movie. So how to rate it. I gave it two stars instead of one because it was enjoyable despite is obvious malicious intent. To paraphrase Gibbon --
"The only defect in this pleasing composition (movie, in this case) was its want of truth and common sence."
 A Love Triangle July 1, 2008
3 out of 7 found this review helpful
This love triangle between three girls displays a provocative and perceptive portrait of teen curiosity and sexuality. This film shows the friendship and desire between three female friends. Due to this desire for one another, a lesbian love triangle develops during a summer in Paris. It is a tender look into the coming of age for many teens today.
Being selected as the Official Selection for both the Cannes Film Festival and the Toronto Film Festival, this film is worthy of a recommendation.
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