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Born in China


            The film begins with Charlie (Joséphine Japy) waking up to the sound of her parents arguing. It appears Charlie's mother, Vanessa (Isabelle Carré) is accusing Charlie's father (Radivoje Bukvic) of cheating with a woman from work. Charlie and her father have a nonchalant attitude towards the argument, suggesting that her mother makes these accusations on a regular basis. As Charlie's father manages to calm her mother down, he engages in awkward and forced conversation about breakfast and school with Charlie, in an attempt to pretend everything is as usual. Charlie declines an offer from her father on getting a lift to school and we then see him driving away while Charlie watches before leaving on foot.Charlie arrives at school and seems to have a more normal relationship with her friends, as she happily greets them before her lessons. She also makes thoughtful contributions in a debate about passion and freedom, which her teacher commends her for. In the next scene, we see Charlie enjoying herself with her friends as she has lunch with them and is amused during a match of table football. Charlie walks home with her best friend, Victoire (Roxane Duran) as they have simple discussions about boys and school. When Charlie gets home, her mother is sat in the dark, smoking and looking solemn. "Did he leave?" asks Charlie. "Yeah. I think so," her mother replies looking calm. However, later Charlie lays in bed unable to sleep from the sound of her mother crying.The next day, Charlie is sat in an amusing math class, laughing with the rest of the class as a boy at the front tries to solve an equation. As it goes on, there's a knock at the door and a member of staff enters with a new girl, Sarah Perrin (Lou de Laâge). Sarah seems excited and friendly and even helps the boy at the front with the equation before being seated next to Charlie. They exchange a friendly glance. Later, during gymnastics, Charlie curiously watches Sarah as she moves. While outside with her friends, Charlie is approached by Sarah who asks her if she could help her with the history homework. They agree to do it at Charlie's house. Sarah offers Charlie's friends some cigarettes and she explains they are from Nigeria as she lived there for 4 years while her mum worked for an NGO. After some rebels crossed the border and created a mess, she moved back to France to graduate. She adds that her mother still lives in Nigeria and she lives with her aunt.Sarah walks home with Charlie and Victoire. She tells an interesting story about an experience back in London which the girls enjoy, presumably because their own conversations aren't usually exciting. When Victoire leaves, Charlie explains to Sarah that she has known her since 6th grade. The scene cuts to Charlie's house where Charlie, her mother and Sarah are having enjoying Sarah's company as she talks about her annoying aunt. The phone interrupts their amusement and the mood instantly changes: Charlie knows it is her father calling. When her mother leaves to take the call, Charlie mentions her mother had her when she was 18. When Sarah asks about Charlie's father, Charlie says "she should just tell him to fuck off." Sarah immediately gets up and grabs the phone downstairs the listen to their conversation and says "Leave her alone. Fuck off." Her mother runs down in a frenzy, stunned that the girls would do something like that as she is worried he may actually leave for good. Charlie and Sarah begin laughing hysterically.Over the next few scenes, we see Charlie and Sarah spend more time together and begin to bond. They appear to unintentionally isolate themselves from the rest of the friendship group and grow closer. Sarah even does Charlie's make up one night and calls her beautiful before they head to a party and have a good time. Sarah looks after Charlie by holding up her hair when she is drunk and vomiting in the toilet.One day, Charlie's dad comes over the house to visit. He goes outside and sees Charlie sunbathing. He offers her a cigarette and she makes a comment about how irresponsible he is. He doesn't seem to care and remarks that he knows she smokes anyway. She accepts the cigarette. He begins to tickle her and she laughs; it is clear she does love her father despite his destructive behaviour. Charlie's mother watches from the window, smiling slightly at the sight of them bonding.Later that day, after Charlie's father has left, Charlie is sitting on the stairs listening to a conversation between her mother and Laura (Claire Keim), looking expressionless. Her mother explains that Charlie's father is growing more violent. Laura begins crying, exclaiming that if he touches her in anyway she will kill him. Charlie's mother says "I'm afraid." Charlie enters the room as if she were not listening. Laura immediately changes the subject and begins talking about getting a dog. Charlie and her mother laugh weakly as if everything is normal. Laura invites Charlie to go with her to Vince and Marie's camp for All Saints Day. Charlie thinks it would be awesome but her mother protests that it would be awkward as she hasn't seen them in years. Laura persuades them to go anyway. Just then, the phone rings and it is Sarah. She explains to Charlie that her mother was supposed to come to France for All Saints Day but cancelled last minute. She comments that her mother couldn't care less and now she has to spend it with her annoying aunt. Charlie comforts her over the phone.The next scene shows Charlie, Charlie's mother, Laura and Sarah in an old car. It is suggested Charlie ended up inviting Sarah to the camp for All Saints Day. They are all hysterically laughing and genuinely seem happy. When they arrive, Sarah catches the eye of a handsome man with a wheelbarrow called Esteban (Alejandro Albarracín) who appears to do handy work for the camp. Later, while they are hanging out in the woods, Sarah comments about having sex with a British boy. She asks Charlie about her sexual experiences. Charlie says that she is a virgin but was close to losing her virginity with a boy called Lucas from school before she began crying from the pain and couldn't continue. She adds that she hasn't told anyone, not even her best friend Victoire. The chat ends light-heartedly with the girls laughing and running from the sound of an animal in the bushes.Later, while they are rolling up what looks like a cigarette, a local called Paul (Victor Assié) walks up to Charlie and Sarah and greets Charlie, asking if she remembers him. Charlie gets up to greet Paul back but accidentally drops her towel and flashes her naked body to him, causing Sarah to burst out laughing while Charlie appears mortified. Paul just calmly looks on. Charlie mentions that it has been ages since she last saw him. Charlie briefly introduces Sarah as her classmate before Paul confirms whether or not Charlie is going for drinks later. She agrees and he leaves. Sarah appears hurt and when Charlie asks why, she says that she would have introduced her as a friend, not a classmate. Charlie stays silent and Sarah tries to brush it off, appearing more quick-tempered and bitter towards Charlie as they continue making the cigarettes.The scene cuts to Charlie attempting to zip the back of her dress, visibly struggling. Sarah gets up and does it for her and hugs her. It appears she has gotten over the earlier incident. We see Sarah, Charlie, Charlie's mother enjoying drinks with a group of people at a table. Sarah seems to be flirting with Esteban, the man from earlier with the wheelbarrow. That evening, in the caravan, Sarah and Charlie improvise a fictional scene between Sarah and Esteban. Sarah pretends Charlie is Esteban and kisses Charlie. She then slaps Charlie as part of the act and laughs. Charlie looks stunned.The next morning we see Charlie's mother leave Esteban's caravan, giggling. It is clear they spent the night together. Charlie hears her mother giggling and leaving the caravan. At the breakfast table, there are jokes made about Charlie's mother and Esteban spending the night together, Sarah looks hurt. Charlie joins the table and looks nervously at Sarah to see if she knows. Sarah tries to look unaffected and leaves the table. The scene changes to Sarah flirting with Paul. Charlie approaches them and they seem blunt. Paul explains he's offered to take Sarah out in his plane. The two leave holding hands as Charlie looks on. It is clear that Sarah has turned to Paul as a way of forgetting about Esteban. Charlie spends time alone at the foot of the sea and sees the plane in the sky.Later that evening, Charlie is unacquainted at a small gathering and begins playing an instrument with a stranger. Sarah approaches and kisses Charlie's hand. Charlie looks unaffected and continues playing the instrument when Sarah leaves. Sarah dances passionately to the music. The next morning, Charlie wakes up and sits at the door of her caravan, taking in the scenery. She suffers an asthma attack and uses her inhaler to restore her breathing. Charlie goes to Laura's caravan. She asks if she's seen Sarah. Laura tells her that she went to the market with Charlie's mother. Charlie looks defeated. Laura picks up on this and says "Don't let it bug you. Sarah's not so amazing," before quickly changing the subject. Charlie's mother returns to find Charlie alone outside. She says "you're not jealous are you?" Charlie shakes her head. However her mum continues to talk about Esteban's good qualities. Her mother seems to really like Esteban. Later that evening, Sarah goes for another round of drinks with the locals. Charlie stays in the caravan in her bed looking solemn. Sarah enters the caravan and asks when she will stop sulking. Sarah jokes about Charlie's mother and Esteban and makes Charlie laugh. Charlie comments that it won't last. Sarah asks if she wants to sleep. Charlie says yes. Sarah leaves her and shuts the door with force. Charlie looks stunned. On car journey back home, Sarah leans on Charlie to nap. Charlie looks confused by the dynamics of their friendship.Back in Charlie's bedroom, Victoire is commenting on the fact that something is different. She notices that Charlie took her old posters down. It is clear that Victoire is seeing that Charlie has changed. The next scene shows Sarah greeting Charlie in a friendly way while Charlie still looks unsure of what to make of Sarah. Sarah appears closer to Charlie's friends now, too. Back at Charlie's house, Sarah and Charlie have a dull conversation. They are cold around each other. Sarah leaves and begins talking to Charlie's mother who still appears to like Sarah a lot. Later, Sarah and Charlie are brushing their teeth together. They begin laughing hysterically for no reason. It feels like old times.The next day at school, Charlie and Sarah are having lunch with the rest of their friends. Sarah makes a comment about her mother and her going for a safari the previous year. Charlie remarks that she thought Sarah's mother couldn't spend time with her last year. Sarah is bitter towards Charlie and accuses her of assuming she knows Sarah's life story. Charlie says it is what Sarah told her. Sarah ridicules Charlie in an attempt to defend herself. Sarah then giggles with Charlie's friends at the back of a science class.That night, Sarah calls Charlie's house. Sarah confronts Charlie about embarrassing her in front of everyone at lunch and making her look like a liar. Sarah manipulates Charlie into making her feel sorry for her, explaining that she made a mistake about when her mother left her. Charlie apologises and feels bad for what she did.The next scene cuts to Sarah on a train, on her way home. We learn that Charlie is following Sarah. Sarah lives in a dingy neighbourhood in a small apartment. She gets inside and is greeted by a drunk woman (Carole Franck). The woman is uneasy and unstable and asks Sarah where she's been. Sarah is bitter and appears to resent the woman. When the woman begins banging on a door, Sarah says "Mom stop." Sarah's mother falls on the floor laughing hysterically. All the while, Charlie is listening outside Sarah's window, looking shocked.Charlie and Sarah are at a nightclub. They are separate but they seem to be enjoying themselves. Charlie approaches Sarah and asks what's going on with their friendship. Sarah brushes her off coldly. Charlie asks if the reason Sarah is bitter is because of her mother. Charlie explains that she saw her and she doesn't hold anything against Sarah for lying. Sarah asks if Charlie followed her. Charlie doesn't answer the question. Instead she says she promises not to tell anyone. Sarah looks stunned and angry. She threatens to kill Charlie if she tells anyone. Charlie looks sick as Sarah barges her and leaves. Charlie walks home very drunk.The scene switches to Charlie in her school toilets. She hears the sounds of Sarah and a friend walk into the toilets and sighs. They are talking about Lucas and the fact he's obsessed with Charlie. Sarah tells the friend that Charlie never had sex with Lucas because she cried (something that Charlie told her earlier in confidence). Charlie leaves the cubicle and confronts Sarah. Sarah appears unaffected. Charlie threatens to babble about Sarah's mother. Sarah dares her. Charlie begins and Sarah turns on the hand dryer to stop Charlie from being heard. Sarah leaves with the friends. Charlie cries when they are gone.We see Charlie go into a state of depression as she ignores her mother and begins to do badly at school. She constantly has to scrape off comments off her table that Sarah and her friends have written such as "Charlie the whore" and "Charlie gives sodomy free". She is continuously bullied by Sarah and her friends, however turns to studying as a coping mechanism. However, her anxiety causes her to suffer from asthma attacks. One day at lunch, Victoire tells Charlie that she is devastated by the way Sarah is treating Charlie. She wonders why Charlie stands it. Charlie begins to completely isolate herself from everyone and makes her old friends wonder why she is so distant. One night, Charlie does her hair and attempts to do her makeup the way Sarah did it for her the night she called her beautiful. She fails and angrily takes everything apart.On a different day, Charlie is running track with other classmates as part of physical education. Sarah barges past her with ease and begins running ahead. In a moment of fury, Charlie runs faster and speeds past Sarah and takes the lead. She continues to push herself to run even faster and begins struggling to breathe. However, she pushes on and her breathing becomes very heavy. She eventually faints and hits the ground struggling desperately for air while a crowd gathers around her. Her vision is blurred but she clearly sees Sarah smirking at her through the crowd.We see Charlie looking out of a window, daydreaming. Her father and mother are heard speaking in the background, getting along. Her father asks if Charlie is okay and her mother comments that she is just moody. Her dad gives her a glass of champagne. He asks her about celebrations for her 18th birthday. She seems uninterested. Later that night she hears her parents having loud sex in the other room. The next morning while Charlie is brushing her hair, her mother comes in and tells her that she has ended it with Charlie's father for good. Charlie's mother appears unhappy but accepting to this decision. When she leaves, Charlie violently continues to brush her hair.The scene cuts to Charlie opening the front door to find Sarah, looking sad and bruised. Charlie offers her ice and Sarah begins talking while they are in Charlie's room. She explains that her mother hit her for the first time which made her leave. She opens up about telling lies and stories to other people as a way of escaping her real life. She says that Charlie is the only person she could go to. She asks Charlie if she hates her. Charlie says no. The two share Charlie's bed that night and while Sarah is asleep, Charlie watches her and appears happy that she is back. The next morning, Charlie and Sarah are happily leaving the house and Charlie's mother watches through the window and sees Charlie smiling and laughing like she used to. Before entering the school, Sarah tells Charlie they cannot be friends in school because it will confuse people. She says that this is payback for Charlie following her home. Charlie looks stunned as Sarah approaches Charlie's old friends in a similar way to how Charlie approached them at the beginning of the film. Later in class, Charlie witnesses Sarah give a friend a "souvenir" from Nigeria. She angrily attacks Sarah and begins fighting her before the whole class breaks them up and Charlie leaves the class, very upset.We see Charlie in an exam before taking a test. When she begins the test, she appears confident and immediately begins writing while some people complain about not even understanding the question. Sarah chases her in a corridor to remind her about leaving clothes at her place. Charlie completely ignores her. When she is outside, Lucas (Louka Meliava) approaches and asks her to come out with them. She declines and instead kisses him passionately. He says that he'll call her and is cheered on by his friends when he returns to the group. Back at home, Charlie's mother enters Charlie's room to find Charlie and Sarah. She tells Charlie she is going out with Laura, completely ignoring Sarah. She leaves. Once she leaves, Sarah comments that Charlie's mother hates her because of Charlie. She digs Charlie about how she turns everyone against her. She manipulates and emotionally torments Charlie about how she feels much better without Charlie and how much of a bad person Charlie is. Eventually, Charlie cannot take anymore and she pushes Sarah against her dresser, Sarah is slightly injured but begins laughing. This causes Charlie to grab a pillow and cover it over Sarah's face. Sarah screams that she can't breathe. Charlie continues while Sarah struggles. Sarah goes silent while Charlie continues to suffocate her.The scene switches to Charlie looking blankly into space while sitting in the gloom of the living room. Her mother returns home and Charlie begins crying. Her crying becomes progressively hysterical and she struggles to breathe between heavy sobs. Her mother questions her on what is wrong and asks where Sarah is. Charlie continues to cry and begins apologising. Charlie's mother goes frantically to the other room and we hear a loud, panicked scream. Charlie continues to struggle for air but begins to calm herself down. The film ends with Charlie regulating her breathing as she looks up to the camera and a tear falls down her face.
    

Claire Keim

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