Review: Backstage

Stunning French ingenue Isild Le Besco plays the smitten fan of a pop diva in Emmanuelle Bercot's investigation of stardom, desire, and teenage obsession. After a misbegotten reality TV encounter, Lucie (Le Besco) stalks singer Lauren (Emmanuelle Seigner) and ends up as her maniac mascot in the hotel room where Lauren is gobbling pills and hiding from the cruel, cruel world.

With its hothouse passions and overripe emotions, Backstage often veers into the melodramatic and borderline silly, but the film is never less than delightfully watchable thanks an intriguing cast of side characters and fascinating lead performances by Seigner and Le Besco. Backstage is playing at Film Forum in New York until December 5. Watch the trailer. 3 stars. [posted by Jurgen]