Czech Republic
2007
99 min.
Genre/Subjects: Coming Out, Drama, Lesbian, Sexually Explicit, Youth

Karin Babinská’s steamy debut is anything but a sugarcoated, coming-out, coming-of-age film as three Czech teenage girls hit the road in search of excitement — and two of them discover an undeniable mutual attraction.

Stuck in a summer athletics camp and bored out of their skulls, three Czech teenage girls decide to hit the highway in search of excitement. Sexual experimentation, excessive alcohol consumption and a yearning to take a bite out of whatever forbidden fruit comes their way are all on the agenda, though as the trip progresses, each vixen-in-training starts to develop her own personal agenda.

The slightly chubby Vendula wants to overcome her self-esteem issues, while the hyper-flirtatious Karolina simply wants to test her powers of seduction on every man she meets — including her best friend’s little brother who’s tagging along for the ride. And Iska? She’s interested in pursuing her sudden attraction to Karolina, even if it means risking rejection and heartbreak. Karin Babinská’s debut feature may be both a coming-out and a coming-of-age film, but this road movie is anything but a harmless, sugarcoated version of Girls Gone Wild. There’s perverse humor, poignant tragedy and some seriously steamy encounters on this threesome’s painful journey to self-awareness and Sapphic awakenings. No punches are pulled, yet this portrait of that transitional period between childhood and adulthood always retains that recognizably giddy rush. These girls will be women soon, but that doesn’t mean they can’t have some fun along the way.

• David Fear