Director Claire Denis' (Chocolat 1988) contri­bution to the series Tons les Garcons et les Filles de Leur age brings both toughness and ten­derness to the potentially touchy scenario of three teenagers, Martme, Marlene and Alain out to test their sexual mettle in an adolescent lost weekend, in outer-suburban Pans, circa 1965.

Preparing for a party, which will also be attended by soldiers from a nearby American base-a contentious presence in a time of grow­ing French infatuation with U.S. mass culture and the simultaneous rejection of U..S political domination—the two girls resolve to sacrifice their 'virtue' before the night is through.

Fresh and unembellished, the film's acute observations of the ensuing twenty-four hours, as they attempt to relinquish their virginity, pro­vides an affectionate if painful stroll down the tortuous path of young adolescence.

Complimenting U.S. Go Homes finely wrought cinematic texture is a selection of 60s tunes (including a hilarious French version of the Shangn Las' hit 'Leader Of The Pack -'Le Chef de la Bande'), which provides the icing on this witty gateaux of desire, sexual experimentation and teen preoccupations. Rarely has the spirit of a place, a time, or so complex an emotion been so convincingly evoked.