Ponette

Even on home video, PONETTE retains its remarkable power. It remains one of the most haunting and affecting studies of childhood on film. Victoire Thivisol's performance in the title role continues to be moving and totally disarming. It's a rare talent that can carry an emotionally demanding role in a film in which the lead appears in nearly every scene. The fact that it is a four year old child is simply staggering.

If there is any ground for complaint about the DVD release, it's the fact that the film appears in "Standard Format" instead of a full ratio Widescreen edition. In any event, PONETTE is a welcome addition to my DVD collection. In fact, it is a title that I wouldn't want to be without.

This 1996 French film is reminiscent of an earlier French film from the 60s; Serge Bourguignon's "Sundays and Cybele", which also featured an astounding performance by a young girl, the remarkable Patricia Gozzi (Rapture '65)

Director/Writer Jacques Doillon has achieved the almost impossible with this production, in fact it would seem as if the story was built around the talents of its remarkable young child star; four year old Victoire Thivisol. Very few four year olds could manage the intense work required to bring this story to life. The Director (and or Producer) has wisely gathered a crew of highly specialized technical professionals, who create the incredible illusion the viewer is following the lives of the characters as they unfold.

Cinematographer: Caroline Champetier is known for her vivid Documentaries and features (Of Gods and Men '10 ~ Last Days in Jerusalem '11 ~ The Bear '88) Then, to piece the images together seamlessly, they chose Editor/Director: Jacquelne (Fano) Lecompte, known for her collaborations with documentary director Francois Bel. Both Bel and Lecompte won awards for their "Territory of Others" in 1970. When you also add to the above, Camera Operator/Director of Photography: Julien Hirsch (Korkoro '09) they made for a very solid collaborative team - all documentary trained filmmakers of renown.

Some reviewers have quite reasonably drawn attention to the use of such a young cast for a highly emotional subject...dealing with the death of a beloved parent (in this case the girls own mother) This child has numerous harrowing scenes, including clawing at the earth of her mother's grave begging for her to "come back"! The method chosen for ending the film is good, but a little jarring...with the appearance of the girls mother! This could be taken as a child's imaginings, but these scenes are filled with very 'real' details - leaving the viewer unsure. Ponette's mother is played by Marie Trintignant, who just a few years later would sadly go to her own grave at only 41. With so many tears of tragedy needed throughout the entire story, it makes one wonder about the methods of prompting required to elicit so much from a four year old?

The film makers and distributors must also have been concerned, as the video cover features an entire two page disclaimer - regarding managing the effects on the child star --written by a Psychologist--. Makes you wonder. Composer Philippe Sarde (Tess '79 ~ The Bear '88 ~ The Tenant '76) has written a sensitively expressive music score that's never intrusive. The adult characters in the early stages of the film can seem a little sketchy, with Ponette's father abandoning his grieving daughter by going away for an unexplained reason, leaving her in boarding school or with various relatives. Some of the scenes with her Auntie (and cousin's) do manage to achieve a level of interest and thoughtfulness.

A beautiful film for those who like a special kind of story telling or love children. The Tartan VHS release is OK, but appears to be a rare find on DVD.

I have wanted to see this movie for a very long time. At the time it was released, my own Mother had suddenly died and I knew that it would have been too intense for me to watch. Now, it is almost 11 years later and I have finally watched it and this is quite simply one of the most true to life portrayals of grief and the journey it becomes for really anyone. I was Ponettes age when my father died and I can completely relate to her reactions, her agony and the confusion she portrayed. I can remember asking constantly when Daddy was coming back and not really accepting the answers that people were telling me. I also recall praying and talking to my father when I was alone in my room, begging him to come back and see me when no one else was around. I even had a dream about my father that was amazingly close to Ponettes interaction with her mother. This rang so true for me that I couldn't believe the writer of this story connected things in such a realistic way. Victoire Thivisol is shockingly real in this role. I cannot believe she was only 4 years old when this was filmed! It's a fascinating study of a shields emotional response to such a tragic event and quite honestly, I am at a total loss of words as to how to describe the power of this movie. I can only tell you that if you are looking for something intense and engrossing, this would be your movie. I really appreciated the feeling it left me with at the end too.....that life is not always easy and predictable but that humans are remarkably resilient beings who can actually grow in wonderful ways from the events that challenge us the most.

"Ponette" (French, 1996): We learn that a child lost her mother in a car accident. Ponette (the child), like all children, tries to blend the various truths given her by adults, other children, teachers, books, rumors, churches...eventually arriving at her own version of Truth...a Truth that allows her to move on, with some peace. No one seems to know what to DO for her, and so, her search is solo. What most ASTOUNDS me about "Ponette" is: 1) It's written NOT by grown ups who see children as small adults, but as true children - with all the confusion, magic, and hope we seem to lose as we age, and, 2) the ACTING of Victoire Thivisol ("Ponette") is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. She received numerous awards for this role, which upset some people - because she was only FOUR YEARS OLD at the time. "HOW CAN ANYONE HAVE TALENT AT FOUR?" Watch it for yourself. No one is beating her, no one is spraying lemon juice in her eyes, no one is tickling her feet...SHE is doing her own work. It's like she is channeling the next incarnation of Meryl Streep or someone. Since "Ponette", she has done two more films, including "Chocolat" (1999) with Juliette Binoche. She is now only TWELVE. I should live so long as to follow her entire career.

My wife and I viewed this film without any prior knowledge of its quality (or even of its existence!) To say the least, we were extremely impressed. We find it difficult to understand how the director managed to create situations where these wonderful children could perform so magnificently. The storyline is certainly simplistic, but the film's greatness comes from the marvelous interactions between the young children which go well beyond acting as we normally understand it. These interactions are so authentic that the storyline as such becomes a secondary consideration. One reviewer critized the 'fantasy' ending of the film saying that it somehow broke the flow of the story...

But, I for one appreciate the fact that the creators of this film allowed us to regain our composure before the lights went back on !