Love Like Poison is a fascinating little film. I viewed it at a small French Film Festival (in South Africa no less),and did not expect too much. And honestly, that is what I received - not too much, but brilliantly presented and charmingly executed.

Following the story of young Anna as she struggles with becoming a woman, her grandfather's mortality and a young boy's affection, Love Like Poison captured me from the start. The film plays with the idea of childhood innocence and the fragility of adulthood. It delves deep into the flaws of every human being, but accentuates the beauty of its naivety. It does all this with a wonderful charm about it.

Many of the scenes might make certain viewers slightly uncomfortable, but that is where the film succeeds, and where it needs to go in order to explore the themes that it presents. Furthermore, it does not place judgment on the actions and conversations of the characters as they reflect what is in all of us.

Lastly, I will mention that the film would never have succeeded as it did, without its subtle hint of comedy. These very subtle bits are sometimes, in fact, laugh-out-loud, regardless of the circumstances. All the more reason to take life less seriously, and be able to laugh at the perfections and flaws of the human condition. The speech by Anna near the end in particular is beautiful and laugh-out-loud hilarious.

8/10 I loved it...

Teening can be tough. But most of the angst of adolescence is (for the rest of us, forever having to hear about it) a big yawn. What makes "Love Like Poison" (in French with English subtitles) worth watching? Brace yourself for stress (hers, not yours). It's all a bit too much (and too much all at once) for this fourteen year old girl: her parents are splitting up, her grandad is on his deathbed, her confirmation (Catholic) is looming, and then there's physical maturing at a gallop, an ambiguous relationship with her mother, an ambiguous relationship with the local priest, an ambiguous relationship with a local boy who seems to be even younger than she is. You name it, the agony is piled on. And yet the luminous personality of Anna (Clara Augarde) shines through. This isn't a splurge of self pity. We care about what's happening to her, because she's worth caring about.

Anna is intense. In past ages her vocation would have been obvious: she would become a nun. The "burden of spirituality" weighs upon her - she literally faints when it overwhelms. But who or what will win her soul? - God and the ache of her idealistic young spirit (she encounters an appealing "young church" and an unappealing "old church"); or will it be the sharp tingle of the body, symbolised by her sensual grandfather (who wants her to read an erotic poem at his funeral); or will it be the love she has for her agreeable but ineffectual father; or the love she has for her dominating mother (who is experiencing her own crisis of identity); or will it be possible for Anna to achieve a level of autonomy and win her own soul? From French cinema we expect tension, balance and clarity. The subtlety in "Love Like Poison" seems to demand that we watch it at least twice, in order to fit all the pieces together properly. But do the pieces fit? - that will depend on you.

After watching the magical Angel on My Shoulder,I decided to take a look at what other films on BBC iPlayer,and I spotted a short and sweet French title. Being pretty lucky with the French movies that have been on iPlayer,I decided to find out how poisonous love could be.

The plot:

Returning home for the holidays from her Catholic boarding school, Anna Falguères finds out that her dad has walked out on them,and that her mum Jeanne is in a burnt out state. Wanting to be with her dad,Anna secretly calls him in the hope sorting out some sort of arrangement,whilst the relationship with her mum continues to crumble. Surrounded by poisonous love,Anna is left breathless,when a boy called Pierre shows an interest in her.

View on the film:

Backed by a smooth Folk score from Olivier Mellano,co-writer/(along with Mariette Désert) director Katell Quillévéré & cinematographer Tom Harari drive into the suburbs on a wave of saturated colours,which stylishly reflects the Falguères's moods. Joining Anna in the woods, Quillévéré rubs the title in a lyrical rustic atmosphere lit up by shards of light being cast over Anna's face as the birds hum in the background.

While the house is painted in primary colours,the screenplay by Quillévéré and Désert draws darker hues on the events taking place within,by giving Anna and her mum Jeanne an excellent friction that becomes more abrasive as Anna moves from the sainthood in search of her own path. Taking their tops off,the writers display great care in the handling of Anna's romance with Pierre,whose curiosity with Anna is always kept on the right side of being sweet. Facing "Lio" giving a great,brittle performance as Jean, Clara Augarde gives a fantastic, expressive performance as Anna,via Augarde giving Anna a naturalistic intrigue over puberty,and a sharp frustration over family dramas,dipped in a love like poison.