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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.

This film recounts the grieving process of a four-year-old child who has lost her mother, the pain of the loss, of not finding answers, of not finding explanations of the unimaginable. It also shows how the people around the child experience are void. The children as well as the adults all try to offer an explanation. Seen like that, the film could seem awfully sad. But Ponette is also and especially a magnificent reflection on facing death in childhood, on the stages of grief, on all that is unexplainable. On this point, and rightly so, the end of the film should fuel a debate: did this really happen, or was this the product of Ponette's wild imagination? I think that, if we don't ponder this, we pass over one of the major elements of the work.

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 !

is given by 4 year-old Victoire Thivisol. Differences in how people deal with death and the role religion plays are brought into focus in this outstanding, thought provoking and unrelenting heartbreaking film. Death and religion are difficult enough concepts for adults but to thrust them upon a 4 year old child and watch her battle to understand why her mother is dead is captured beautifully and thoughtfully in Ponette. This is a must see.

"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.

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.

It is absolutely amazing to see the star of Ponette as she acts. This child appears to be about four years-old and gives an incredible performance. The only problem is, that the script itself is a bit flat and my wife and I kept wondering "where is the father--why did he abandon this little girl?!" This and many other unanswered questions bothered me throughout the film. In addition, although the subject matter is novel (a very young child searching to understand her mother's death), it just stopped being interesting after a while. Then, when the movie did change tone at the very end, it became pretty weird, though not entirely unsatisfying. Overall, the acting is fine but it just didn't arouse my interest.

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.

Nobody watching this film can failed to be touched, moved, transported and transformed by it. Others here have already expressed the enormous power of the movie, and particularly of its star, Victoire Thivisol. If you're reading this to see if you should watch it, I'd say, drop everything and go buy it so you can watch it over and over. But buy a case of Kleenex (TM) too, you're going to need them!

As I watched the movie, I had the impression that director Jacques Doillon had simply found a real-life tragedy and somehow followed the participants through it with his camera. Nothing in this film gives you the impression of having been written, scripted, staged, produced. It is all so completely natural that you experience first hand the pain, the emotional agony of Ponette, as if she were your own daughter, your own sister, even your own self.

A 4-year-old French girl, Ponette (Victoire Thivisol) waits for the return of her mother, who has just died at an auto accident.

This beautiful and sensitive drama surprised a lot of people when won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival 1996, given to a 5-year-old novice, Victoire Thivisol. She is really magnificent and, controversy aside, the important award recognized the biggest achievement in the film: Victoire reacts with amazing naturalness and outstanding facial expressions to the most intricate scenes. "Ponette" is a film that certainly will be in your memory, mostly because of a too young girl who shows the difference between a little great actress and a gracious child who wrinkles the eyebrows eloquently.

I love everything about this film. The cast portrayed their characters well; the script presented a variety of philosophical viewpoints; and many of the interactions between the children were symbolic of religion in the adult world. Those who would be thrown off by this sort of a thing should not worry, because there are plenty of sweet moments and a very satisfying ending. And I must say that that little girl's performance was utterly stunning. Amazingly enough, she was four years old during filming. I would recommend it to anyone with a brain or a heart.

I do not believe I have ever seen a film that comes anywhere close to "Ponette" before. While I would not consider it my favorite film that I could watch over and over and over, it is easily one of the stronger movies I have seen. Rarely do I view a film that is so precise and cohesive even though it simultaneously plays off so many different themes, like sentimentallity, nostalgia (we all remember the strange social world of the playground though maybe some of us don't want to go back), the pain of loss, and (gasp) humor. Most directors and actors would get lost at one point or another, not knowing how to segue or shift from one tone to another, but here there is nary a problem with doing so, which is especially amazing considering the leading lady has been walking and talking for about as long as it takes to make a bowl of oatmeal.

The best scenes for me were the trials that the older girl put Ponette through. The dumpster one was especially great. Considering that early on in the film I sympathized with Ponette when she cried during some scenes, I felt bad laughing at her suffering through the tests, especially when her hand got caught when the dumpster lid came down. I believe some of this movie was improv, so for all I know, the poor girl really got her hand hurt, but I remember those type of moments as a child; those tests of stamina, durability, agility, etc. I put my younger brother through some horrific ones. One time he broke his arm. How could I have been so cruel?

A performance artist/singer named Suran Song recommended I watch this film. In Suran's performance, she actually uses slides of the scene where the mean little punk Antoine is playing with Ponette on the playground and begins to verbally abuse her about her mothers death. The context Suran used the scene in her act seemed to be making a statement about how people treat others in society, even when very young. Interesting how she sort of sampled an individual scene and made it into a story of her own, because it plays much differently in the film as a whole (obviously) since we know the characters.

Probably not for everyone, but certainly for those who want to a see a piece of work very left-of-center yet not oddball in any way; simply a viewpoint that wouldn't normally seem worth making an entire feature film out of because it would be hard to pull off. Ponette is not only pulled off... it goes flying to the moon.

The quote is from Andrew Sarris on 'Au Hasard Balthazar' but it seems entirely appropriate for this gem. (And its worth remembering that Doillon's first great film, 'La Drôlesse' bore more than a passing similarity to 'Mouchette').

'Ponette' comes like a bolt from the blue - a sometimes painful, sometimes funny, almost always moving picture of a four-year-old trying to grapple with the meaning of death. Victoire Thivisol's performance is breath-taking, the curious logic of childhood has rarely been so articulately put on film.

If action movies are your thing, avoid it like the plague, otherwise beat down every door until you find it.

I cannot disagree with Brian enough! You don't need to know French to know that Victoire was giving one of the best heartfelt performances ever given, and just at the mere age of four. Emotion, pain, love, and death is universal. I felt Ponette's pain and remembered just how difficult it was to deal with the loss of a loved one.

If a viewer can't handle movies with captions, then maybe he should pick another movie. It's as simple as that. But if that is your qualification and how one judges movies, you're missing out on some very fine movies.

>Ponette is amazingly acted. This part overshadows any of its shortcomings. >Victoire Thivisol is spectacular, as are the other children. The dialogue is >eerie, like you're watching a piece of their real lives. The direction is >incredible, and it's beautiful to watch.

Never before have I seen child actors carry a movie, let alone one with such poignant and adult subject matter. And I don't mean as foils for adults, or whimsical urchins. Nor do I mean pre-pubescent older kids. The children in Ponette are in the 4 - 6 age group. The actress playing the title character is just four!

The story is simple: four-year old Ponette loses her mother in an auto accident in which she is also injured. Her father is remote and distant, and Ponette is thrown in with her cousins and friends to learn how to deal with her own grief. Not kid stuff, but brought off excellently by the child actors. And the Director....whew, how'd he do it? Go rent this movie it is unique and excellent.

This movie is fantastic.

What you can get from watching this movie cannot be described, which is a sort of power you can feel, which is something pure that grown-ups have lost.

It's been ten years since its release. But it's still powerful when I watch it today. My hear is grabbed by the little girl. She is confused by her mother's death; she doesn't accept the reality; she believes she would see the mom again. She lives in pain which others are not able to understand. No one understands her; no one can help her; her father even thinks she's crazy. But what she feels and expects is precious, which has been lost by adults.

Victoire Thivisol's acting is incredible. I never thought a 4-year-old could perform at such a level. She's great.

Ponette is a 4 year old girl who has survived a car crash that killed her mother. Victoire Thivisol is the actress who plays Ponette. Other than a few scenes with adults, this young girl carries the entire film. She is amazing! Her interaction with the other children is real - you forget that she is "acting". In one particular scene, Ponette sheds tears for her mom - the tears are real. Director Jacques Doillon has a magic touch with all of the young actors in this film. His extreme close-ups of their faces vividly reveals their emotions.

For 92 minutes you are brought into Ponette's world. You share in her grief, her friendships, her imagination and her innocence. In doing so, you also escape back into your own childhood. By seeing everything through Ponette's eyes, you recall all of the different kids most of us grew up with. You also see how confusing it can be for a child when adults tell them tales just to appease them.

Ponette desperately wants her mother back. In some fine examples of how impressionable and vulnerable children can be, Ponette will try or do anything to get her back. To soothe Ponette, her aunt tells her that like Jesus, her mom will come back from the dead. This results in Ponette isolating herself from her cousins and waiting every day on the top of a hill for her mom to appear.

In a poignant scene, which shows how mean kids can be at times, a boy tells Ponette that her Mom is dead because she wasn't a nice child, but Ponette fights back and stands up for herself. In another scene, which depicts the "bossy" kid, a young girl tells Ponette that she can be a "child of God" and speak to her mom but first she has to pass a variety of little tests such as jumping from stone to stone without touching the dirt (which the girl depicts as hot lava from Hell).

Throughout the film you watch and FEEL Ponette's growing pains. The emotions will be mixed. You'll see Ponette grow as a person but you'll also see Ponette lose some of that precious childhood innocence. In order not to spoil the ending for anyone, I'll just say two words about it: Mystical & Sweet.

The film is in French with English subtitles, but please don't let this discourage you. After 5 minutes you'll have escaped back to your childhood and you won't even realize you're reading.

Rating: ***