Breathe

This film is like a bear trap -- it lures you in and then snaps your fucking leg off. <i>Breathe</i> is one of the most disturbing films I've ever seen -- not in the way of shock value or graphic content, but in how intimately it captures emotional violence. There are no monsters or the usual villains here -- just the terrifying realization that someone can destroy you using only attention and silence. This twisted film feels like it betrayed me. Even its damn poster is deceiving. At first, the bond between these vastly different girls is intoxicating. But slowly, almost imperceptibly, it turns suffocating. The emotional abuse to Charlie's self-worth is absolutely devastating and heartbreakingly relatable. The subtleness and quietness of this manipulation is haunting. I felt void of emotion and deflated during the entire second half of this film, only for that sorrow to turn into rage. The direction of this film by Mélanie Laurent is exemplary. She avoids sensationalizing the story’s darker turns, instead choosing to frame it through the lens of a girl who feels everything too deeply. Some shots are absolutely perfect -- the highlight being Charlie in her blue dress, standing in shin-high water in the ocean. Joséphine Japy and Lou de Laâge are simply sublime. There’s a soft desperation to Japy's performance, like someone who’s never quite learned how to protect herself. She's beyond relatable in her vulnerability. As much as I hate Sarah, Lou de Laâge is just as perfect. She's unpredictable and charismatic -- affectionate one moment and cruel the next. I feel like everyone can find some part of them or someone they know in these two characters. I honestly could talk about this film for hours. I have to keep reminding myself this is just a movie, because I feel stuck with such emotional distress. I absolutely hate you, Sarah -- I you are more evil than 99% of film/TV villains lol.