A lovely, touching and emotionally-dense film. Director and writer Celine Sciamma created a whole experience in just 72 minutes. A simple tale, succinct and precise with nary any fats, about family, being a child, being a mother/parent, growing up and friendship. It was also exquisitely and tenderly shot by Sciamma's Portrait of a Lady on Fire collaborator Claire Mathon and the rich autumnal shades, coupled with softly touched closed up of faces, gave an overall heartwarming and beautiful tone to the film.
Told mainly through the eyes of an eight-years old, Petite Maman maintained that point of view throughout. That matter-of-factness acceptance of the strange and fantastical, and the blunt opinions of how they feel and what should be the right thing to do. Sciamma's successfully put us in that position and allowed us to also feel like a child again. And you know she had succeeded when you too feel the children's simple joy and fun in making crepes and their awe and wonder in discovery and adventure.
Kudos to the young actresses, Josephine and Gabrielle Sanz, for encapsulating all that. Their innocence and their friendship (kinship) really anchored the film and allowed Sciamma to tell this story.
An unexpected follow-up to Portrait but yet maintained Scaimma's reputation as a film maker to watch out for.
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