French actress Mélanie Laurent, who was so unforgettable in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds (I wrote a post about her acting here, which should be all the proof you need that Quentin Tarantino is a GREAT “actor’s director”), and other films (I loved her nearly-mute turn in The Beginners) is also a director. Breathe is her second feature. Based on a YA novel, Breathe is one of those “manic girl friendships gone south” stories, but Laurent’s style (and the performances of these two young actresses) is simple and sensitive. On one level, this is a very scary film emotionally. But Laurent keeps her cool about it. She doesn’t ratchet up dread or anything. This is about emotions, and about the treachery that sometimes goes down between teenage girls. I highly recommend it.
