★★★

In some ways, the aimless nature of Zero F**ks Given is frustrating, as you simply want to push the film forward to find solutions and resolutions which seem obvious to everyone but Cassandre (Adèle Exarchopoulos), our main character. A flight attendant for a low-cost airline, she wanders from stop to stop, partying with co-workers, engaging in questionable behavior, and motivated to earn a promotion and more responsibility, largely because she has nothing better to do.

Exarchopoulous’ performance is a slow-burn, captivating turn, which finds the talented actor showcasing her ability to use restraint as one of her strongest acting traits. As the plot pieces start to fold into the narrative, indicating why she is stuck in an emotional malaise, flirting with self-destruction, we see the film far more profound than it initially appears.

Stretches of the film do remain rather laborious, and with a lesser actor carrying the film, Zero F**ks Given would be a tough, squirmy watch. Feeling long at 115 minutes, Exarchopoulos remains the takeaway, riveting in how she balances a character who is fitfully fighting between maturity and personal growth and just throwing everything away.

Zero F**ks Given was screened as part of the 48th Seattle International Film Festival.