No, Girlhood isn't some kind of sequel to Richard Linklater's hit Boyhood, but the coming-of-age film has built its own share of followers on the festival circuit for months now. Other than the obvious gender differences between subjects, the two movies couldn't have less in common, as Girlhood takes us to a poor area of Paris we don't often see in Hollywood dramas.
Directed by Celine Sciamma and led by a strong central performance by Karidja Toure, Girlhood follows teenager Marieme who escapes a troubled, oppressive home life by joining with a group of much tougher girls. Becoming a part of their "gang of girls" (the film's French title is "Bande de Filles" or "Gang of Girls"), Marieme finds a sense of belonging but also trouble on some of the poorest and meanest streets in France.
Having caught the film at the Virginia Film Festival I was disappointed given the glowing reviews out of Cannes and TIFF. Toure's performance is worth checking out, though, and you get a good sense of that in this new U.S. trailer. Girlhood opens on January 30th.
