It Felt Like Love

A poignant and unflinching coming-of-age drama, "It Felt Like Love" captures the languid summer of 14-year-old Lila's desire for sexual awakening amidst the peerless influences of her promiscuous friend Chiara and her boyfriend Patrick. With a gritty realism that underscores the treacherous terrain of adolescence, the film follows Lila's perilous pursuit of an older boy, Sammy, who seems to embody the very male experience she so desperately craves. Through its unvarnished portrayal of teenage desire and vulnerability, "It Felt Like Love" reminds us of the vast gulf between male and female notions of romantic connection.