Set Me Free

Hanna (Karine Vanasse) is a Canadian teenager in the early sixties.And she shapes her own identity. Her parents escape from their responsibilities: her father prefers playing chess to working; and her mother is a depressive woman (several suicide attempts). That's why she decides of leading her own life. But Reality is stronger than she expected: Life bites hard...

Emporte-moi is partly an autobiographical movie. Léa Pool presents an interesting analysis of the familial relationship and adolescence. Well, this melancholy movie is very touching. Even the scene of the abandoned dog moved. Anyway, the acting is quite perfect and right. Karine Vanasse is magic, Miki Manojlovic surprising in comparison with his performance in "Underground".We can just regret the underemployment of Pascales Bussières, which is paradoxical given the closed relationship between Hanna and her mother.

Well...I have to say that anyone get out of the cinema before the closing credits:a surprise is awaiting you. I put a 8 out of 10.

"Emporte-moi" is the latest Léa Pool movie. I was invited to the premiere in Montreal at the Loews theater. I was stunned! It's one of the best movies I've ever seen. Newcomer Karine Vanasse (who I had the chance to meet) does to this movie what Tori Amos does for her albums. What I mean is that she brings the movie to life and supports it all magnifically on her back. This is the new talent out of Quebec for the year 2000. Also, you can not put aside the brilliant performances by Pascale Buissière and the rest of the cast. To conclude, go see it right away or if you ever get your hands on a copy when it goes to video, don't waste your chance of seeing this genius movie.

Excellent coming-of-age story. It feels really lived in. I'm not sure if it's autobiographical, but it sure feels like it. Karine Vanasse plays 13 year-old Hanna, a girl from Montreal with kind of a rough family life. Her parents are unmarried and poor, and along with her older brother they all live in a cramped apartment. Hanna falls in love with Godard's Vivre sa vie, and inspired by it, she is led down a dangerous path. As you might expect with the genre, there are moments of joy along with the pain. Novelist Nancy Huston plays Hanna's teacher, who reminds her of Anna Karina - she looks so much like Karina I spent the whole movie thinking it was her. The only big problem of the film is that Vanasse is not convincing as a 13 year-old - the actress is a couple of years older than that, and looks it. She is very good, though, as an actress.

Young Karine Vanasse is astounding. Her stillness, poise & expressiveness - combined with youthful yearning and curiosity - completely draw you in.

Pascale Bussières, as always, doesn't disappoint.

Caught between childhood and the adult world, in a time similarly challenged by change, Karine Vanasse is enchanting as a girl coming of age in 1960s Quebec. Parents, teachers, sex, philosophy, obsession with a film character, running away -- we've seen it all before, but this is a loving remembrance, shot in warm colours, with a thoughtful script and excellent performances, richly evoking the emotion, confusion and excitement of adolescence.