Petite maman

'Petite Maman (2021)' is an extremely low-key movie about a young girl who makes a new friend while staying at her recently deceased grandmother's house as her parents sort through the late matriarch's belongings. Even its subtle but significant fantastical elements (the exact nature of which are suitably ambiguous) are presented in a very realistic, down-to-earth way. It may very well just be the first social-realist children's fantasy film I've ever seen and it works far better than it perhaps ought to. Its lack of exaggeration allows it to hit home especially hard, as it feels like an experience that almost all of us will be able to relate to on some level. It acts as a sort of pseudo nostalgic retrospection for adults and, I'd imagine, an in-the-moment reflection of reality for children. Because of this, I actually think that it would be a good flick to watch with your own kids, especially since it deals with themes surrounding the relationship between parent and child. It isn't sappy like most movies dealing with a similar subject; in fact, it has a rather potent underpinning of melancholy to it. This sadness is profound yet benevolent, a representation of the slightly intangible and partially existential dread that inevitably exists on the fringes of everybody's own existence. The film posits that sadness is simply a part of life, something to be dealt with as it arises rather than pushed deep down below the surface. At the same time, the flick isn't even close to dour (evidence of that can be found in the genuine joy it is able to inspire simply by portraying the innocent laughter of children). It just represents reality as most of us experience it: flawed, somewhat monotonous and filled with ups and downs. There's an uplifting vibe to the overall affair and it all actually feels rather poignant. Though it isn't the most straightforwardly exciting or compelling piece, it does have a distinct effect and lingers with you for quite a while after it is over. It's a lovely film, despite its motifs of sadness and grief. It's also pretty unique in its own way. It's really good. 7/10.

Celine Sciamma's follow-up to the beloved Portrait of a Lady on Fire is unfortunately one I've got mixed feelings about.

It undeniably has a unique premise, gets some great performances out of its young actors, and is very well shot (great use of colours, outdoor locations, and lighting just as in Portrait). But for whatever reason, I found this to be a really tedious watch, despite its short length.

Scenes stretch on for an eternity, the pacing feels deliberately glacial, and the lack of music really hurt it, in my opinion. Comparing it to Portrait, the lack of music in that one until near the end felt like an artistic choice that paid off, but an almost identical strategy is used here and it just feels uninspired (it's a great scene, and just made me wish there'd been some more music in the film to give it just a tiny bit more life).

For as well made as it is in many respects, it was just too slow and uninvolving with its story for me. I can't rate it too low because of how good the two young twins are, and how great the visuals can be, but the areas I liked weren't enough to keep me interested or invested for the whole runtime. Without a little extra something added into the narrative, I think this would have worked better as a short film.

As "Petite Maman" (2021 release from France; 72 min) opens, 8 yo Nelly and her mom Marion are dealing with the recent passing of Marion's mom/Nelly's grandmother. The grandmother's house contains tons of childhood memories and things. Once day while playing in the nearby woods, Nelly meets another 8 yo girl, whose name is Marion...

Couple of comments; this is the latest from French writer-director Celine Sciamma ("Portrait of a Lady on Fire"). Here Sciamma looks at how an 8 yo girl processes the loss of her grandmother. "I never get to say a proper goodbye", she laments to her mom. Things really get interesting when Nelly meets 8 yo Marion. The scale of the movie may be small, but its emotional reach is enormous. I was completely blown away by the lead performances of the young twins (Joséphine Sanz as Nelly and Gabrielle Sanz as Marion). In case you are wondering whether the movie's short running time hurts the viewing experience, don't worry. The movie comes to a natural close and you will be surprised how deeply invested you had become with these characters.

"Petite Maman" premiered at the 2021 Berlinale to immediate and widespread critical acclaim. If the movie get a US theatrical release, it certainly didn't make it to where I live (in Cincinnati.). Fortunately, the movie started streaming on Hulu just a few days ago, and that is where I caught it. If you are in the mood for a top notch foreign movie about dealing with grief from a young girl's perspective, I'd readily suggest you check this out and draw your own conclusion.

Petite Maman is a warm bundle of cinematic magic. Director Celina Sciamma's French coming of age sci-fi hybrid never gets too bogged down in tedious specifics of its fantastical set-up. Petit Maman bends time to tell the story about the bond between a daughter and her mother that transcends it.

Petite Maman, which I had the pleasure of seeing at the Middleburg Film Festival, centers itself around a little girl named Nelly (Josephine Sanz) and her family, reeling after the death of a loved one, as they spend some time in Nelly's mother's childhood home. Nelly's mother leaves the family behind in the midst of the immense grief she's suffering, leaving her husband and daughter with little idea of when she'll return. In the meantime, Nelly ventures into the woods, where she meets and begins to pal around with a young girl, who she learns, by some twist of cosmic fate, is a much younger version of her own mother, who faces trials of her own. A single stretch of woods bridges decades between them. Together, they try to help each other cope in these moments of personal turmoil and Nelly can maybe get to understand why her mother left and what she's going through. This movie quite literally follows its two leads after their meeting, making food, building forts, making believe. Petit Maman uses those pastimes of youth to hit audiences with a surprisingly layered exploration of something as monumental as grief from a kid's perspective.

I loved, loved, loved the setup of this movie-it doesn't ever seek to explain how Nelly and this younger version of her mother meet in terms of time and space, but it uses that heightened concept to speak to something more human. Here, two children reckon with fear and their powerlessness in the conflicts they face, and in the comfort and security they give each other lies the courage to face them.

The lesson of Petite Maman is just to be there for the people you love in times of great difficulty.

I give Petite Maman 3.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 12. It's an understated, but moving little gem that I hope doesn't escape people's radar. By Benjamin P., KIDS FIRST!

Great movie! A wonderfull masterpiece of love, loss, magic and time.

This director surprises me more and more, with her delicate stories, her sensitive photography, and this film is a clear example of what she can create.