Ponette

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 !

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.

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.

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.