It isn’t always easy to be young, which is the thesis statement for many films that have become part of an emerging sub-genre of narrative storytelling, which usually focus on individuals caught in the awkward space between adolescence and adulthood, placing the viewer in the position of observers that watch them navigate and negotiate their way through hostile urban territories, normally being set within major cities that are often subjected to being captured on film, but rarely with as much insight as they are when looking at it through the eyes of people who have experience being young in places that require a more street smart sensibility. Montparnasse Bienvenüe (also known as Jeune Femme) is one such film, and it takes its cue from a few previous works that focus on the trials and tribulations of a young woman making her way through a city that is not kind to those without the most clear and concise plans for the rest of her life. Written and directed by Léonor Serraille in her directorial debut, the film is an astonishing work of melancholy-tinted humour, a comedy that is not afraid to draw on the slightly darker side of the human condition in the process of telling a compelling story of youthful naivete, and all the challenges that come with it. Serraille is certainly a gifted filmmaker, and this debut proves that she has a talent for telling small but fascinating stories – and while it may seem somewhat conventional on the surface, and will likely be compared to any work that centres on a young woman finding her identity, Montparnasse Bienvenüe has a very unique energy that keeps it ahead of our expectations, allowing us to peer into a few weeks and months in the lives of a character who can stand in as a surrogate for anyone who feels hopelessly lost in a world they struggle to understand.

Montparnasse Bienvenüe is a film that is primarily about Paris, as seen through the eyes of one of the many ordinary people who call the city their home. In this case, it is Paula, a flighty young woman who makes up for her ambiguous position in life through the sheer power of convincing everyone that she is some enormously talented individual, with her only real gift being a chameleonic sense of playing a number of social roles, all of which are designed to keep her ahead of the curve, or else she’ll risk becoming destitute. These stories of thrifty, resourceful individuals that depend on their ability to change and adapt depending on the situation are always very compelling, and Serraille puts together a story that emphasises these qualities in her protagonist, but without making the film an overwrought or unimaginatively bewildering comedy without any depth. If there is something that can be found throughout this film, it would be the most sincere gravitas – when confronted with the possibility of following a very traditional pattern that has been tried and tested over years to the point where it is almost too conventional, the director goes for the more challenging approach, constructing an deeply affecting story of searching for oneself in a city of over two million souls, of which only one is the focus here. It joins a lineage of films that imply that a city is not defined by the landmarks or significant historical events that may have taken place there, but rather the people who have occupied it over time – and whether looking at individual stories, or the interwoven narratives of the wider population, we’re immersed in this urban landscape, which is home to so many wildly fascinating individuals, simply being witness to a segment of one of their lives is enough to propel this film into being one of the most fascinating character studies of the past decade.

It takes a lot of work to create something as deeply soulful as this, and Serraille is working with several very intriguing ideas, and manages to keep the audience engaged, which is not all that easy when dealing with a character as ambiguously defined as Paula, who becomes quite a captivating protagonist solely based on her vague nature. She spends her days making her way through the various mean streets of a city to which she may be a native, but her lack of direction makes her feel like a perpetual tourist. Paula is a bundle of contradictions, and in the hands of a lesser writer and director, as well as a performer without the necessary grounding within reality to make the character work, she’d have very likely been nothing short of insufferable. Mercifully, not only is Lætitia Dosch able to capture the raw, detailed nature of the character, she delivers one of the most staggering performances of the past few years. Montparnasse Bienvenüe would be a film that any young actor would covet – the role is a showcase for them from beginning to end, and it allows them to run the gamut of emotions, delivering a range of passionate monologues, which are often surrounded by deeply internal moments in which their more subtle talents could be shown. Dosch captures every detail necessary to defining the character through this spirited performance – she handles the material with the ease of someone who is constantly in command of her craft, and every moment she is on screen feels like a revelation. It was far from Dosch’s first time acting, but it still feels like a breakthrough performance, the kind of intricately-woven, compelling character study that understands the limitations of the character, and rather than trying to conceal them under layers of excess, it becomes an exercise in finding the authenticity in a character that could have easily have been unlikeable, but who we grow to appreciate, not despite her flaws, but specifically as a direct result of them.

Montparnasse Bienvenüe touches on a few issues that may come across as extraordinarily resonant for certain viewers. The vast majority of individuals will likely be able to relate to the story in some way, regardless of age and background – for older viewers, the film presents an opportunity to reflect on the early days of adulthood, while younger audiences will see this as a cautionary tale about the treachery and challenges that are imminent, aiming to educate them on methods on how to navigate this hostile existential territory, but ultimately conceding in saying that it is inevitable that uncertainty will eventually prevail for a few years while we all figure out the fact that none of us actually carry any understanding of reality or the future during this period. The audiences that will likely respond to this film the most are those who are experiencing such a moment themselves – as much as one’s early adult years are considered the best years of our lives, its also one in which there is so much confusion, and while Montparnasse Bienvenüe is certainly a very funny film with many scenes that are outrageous and hilarious, there’s an underlying sadness that comes through as we watch the main character navigate her life. She is willing to work hard and dedicate her time to a worthy cause – the problem is that she, much like many other people of her generation, simply does not know how to even start trying to find such a direction. This film poses quite an interesting quandary – it’s not so much that our generation fears hard work, but rather that we are so thoroughly uncertain about whether this hard work will help us realise our dreams, or if it will simply consolidate us into the compliant drones that we tend to see the older generation as embodying. Yet, this seems inevitable, since history tends towards being cyclical, to the point where every attempt to avoid becoming the very kind of person we fear only inches us closer to this fate, which is what Montparnasse Bienvenüe is so actively exploring through this peculiar story.

There are so many fascinating questions being asked in the film, but rather than answering them directly, Serraille creates several scenarios in which the viewer is asked to provide their own interpretation, with the perfect intersection between ambiguity and philosophical debate being vital to the success of a film built on something as abstract as the uncertainty that comes with realizing that our days of aimlessly wandering the streets as we try and find a place (both physically and psychologically) can only last a finite amount of time before we have to start making important decisions. From the first mystifying moment, Montparnasse Bienvenüe is a film that immediately has our attention – there’s a degree of complexity in how the director is gradually exploring the world in which the film takes place. It is steeped in social realism, but has an enchanting quality, likely the result of the main character being defined less by conventions and more by how she contributes to the general atmosphere of the film. Far from the archetype of the manic pixie dream girl that had a stranglehold on these small, intimate comedies about the younger generation, and more of a compelling, well-crafted character study that emphasizes so many fascinating ideas, the film is built around a truly impressive performance from Dosch, whose work is integral to the success of the story, since she is our gateway into Serraille’s efforts to expand on some themes that had been explored before, but rarely with the same level of precision and dedication that we saw here. This film is a truly captivating, beautifully-calibrated work of existentialism that plumbs the depths of the human condition and emerges as a triumphant celebration of the very act of being alive – and it still finds time for some genuinely insightful comedy that highlights the fact that life, as treacherous as it may be, is always worth appreciating, especially the small details that keep every day interesting for those who pay attention.