Tomboy

I could do without the tiny font of the subtitles at times but this French film provides a naturalistic approach to subject matter (a tomboy who is mistaken a for a boy and goes with it) that underlines how the French often handles such things better. A U.S. version would likely be more affected, this one is totally natural with really great performances from the child actors. It also is a nice length, not drawn out as some films.

This, of course, is a film so this effect is thanks to the filmmaker and people involved. The DVD has "behind the scenes" featurette that provides a good discussion from the director  (who also directed a film about three teenage girls) of her approach and how she put the film together.  Looking at a bit of the footage of the screen test for girl who plays the lead (we see her with longer hair), for instance, is a nice touch.

We got an idea of how to direct child actresses a bit in the commentary of Hysteria -- the director there noted that her trick was just to film them, not to say "action!" or the like, so they would not be artificial. There the children were just extras in one scene. It is amazing really how natural the children are here, including the cute as a button younger sister, and the screen chemistry of the two is perfect (again, this didn't come from nowhere; it is a matter of finding the right actress that "fit" with the lead).  Just one part of a successful completed film -- any major work has a lot of parts to it and the charm is for it to be so good that you forget that.

The film provides evidence of the power of low key. The film* does not make any heavy-handed points about gender or childhood.  It does have something to say about them, including gender expectations and struggles, including what is not said aloud.  But, it says such things in a low key sort of way, like things ideally should be.  I wonder what we should deem the appropriate audience of such a film.  It is after all mainly about children. But, such a serious film is not usually what we deem appropriate to bring children to come and see. Would someone the age of the lead (let's say ten to twelve) be interested in it?  Preteens and younger teens do read books with serious subject matter.  Need more films.

Since the film is French, there is also some more comfort with the human body than in many of our films.  There is an early scene involving the two daughters taking a bath and each then comes out.  The camera carefully shows just enough to make it clear to us -- the androgynous actress (clearly her daddy's favorite in the film) up to now provides the viewer a sort of unclear view -- she is a girl.  A U.S. film probably would show at least one click less if showing as much of a full body shot (if from afar) at all.  Ditto the likes of Fat Girl.  The film as a whole, given the ages of the girls here, does not show what some European films might have for older teens, but the shot -- totally innocent btw -- is one of the things that tells us as much as the subtitles that this is not an American film. 

The parents are very good too btw as is the neighborhood girl who innocently starts things into motion.  Anyway, it is a nice little film and will lead me to check out the director's other film, Water Lilies.

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* The Wise Kids, which deals with some members of a church group in South Carolina has a similar approach, and shows American films can manage it.  I was impressed with that film but did not find the story as a whole was enough to keep my interest.

Also, it might have helped if there was a character that did not, you know, have "issues." One of the trio of kids grew doubtful, another is gay and a third was basically your average evangelical teen, but wasn't simply comfortable with it.  We finally have a film that respectfully looks at such a group of religious believers but there has to be an "and also."