A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries
Director: James Ivory
Year Released: 1998
Rating: 2.5
Based on the "autobiographical" book by Kaylie Jones (daughter of author James Jones) this film is about her life with her family and her growing up in France and eventual move to America. The film is less about her father and more about her sexual development, from her encounter (during her pre-puberty years) with an abnormal boy who wants her to take her clothes off all the way to her life in America, sleeping with macho high-school dolts in order to get attention. This character, Channe, played wonderfully by the adorable Leelee Sobieski, is sinfully sexy (she was 15 when this film was made) and lovable - you want to jump in the film, grab her, hold her and tell her it will all be okay. Aside from her, however, the film itself isn't focused or well-directed. This is especially shocking because the filmmaker, James Ivory, is so darn talented. The film leaves us with an empty feeling at the end of the film, and I find it hard to believe it's really saying *anything* other than "Life is hard so love your family because they're your true friends." Like we haven't heard that in so many films. There's also no plot to speak of - just a series of vignettes. When the film ends, we don't know where the characters are going, and not inclined to care.
