Film Review: "Petite Maman" (2021).

From the director of Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Portrait de la jeune fille en feu) comes Petite Maman. This French drama fantasy film, written and directed by Céline Sciamma. Nelly, an eight-year-old girl, has just lost her beloved grandmother and is helping her parents clean out her mother's childhood home. One day, her mom abruptly leaves, and Nelly meets a girl her age as she's building a tree house in the woods.

In November 2020, it was announced Sciamma would write and direct a new fantasy drama film. Additionally, Joséphine Sanz, Gabrielle Sanz, Stéphane Varupenne, Nina Meurisse and Margo Abascal were cast. At the same time, principal photography commenced and took place in Cergy-Pontoise, Val-d'Oise, France.

The film stars Joséphine and Gabrielle Sanz, Varupenne, Meurisse and Abascal. As with her debut, Sciamma has a knack for getting amazing performances out of her actors. Particularly, Joséphine and Gabrielle Sanz are a revelation. Their portrayal of a mother and child at the same age is touching and deeply felt.

Sciamma's fifth film as a director, to me seems as a subtle and very emotional coming-of-age portrait of childhood and self-acceptance. The film is a lovely reminder that the French have long been famous for a quite different sort of film-about children. Far from surprising at any point, the film nonetheless holds one's attention though its sheer force of observation. The director's low-key approach to such a seemingly complex topic really illuminates the subject in both very basic and rather profound ways. This exquisite film is as pure as you can get; it's observational, it's minimalist, there's no intrusive music except where it is part of the action. Sciamma's capturing of children at play is disarmingly accurate, perfectly showing the freewheeling nature of childhood in all its glory. The film's greatest accomplishment is Sciamma's stunning ability to draw natural, believable performances from her cast, who never hit a false note in this moving film. Sciamma pictures the story in dappled sunlight and wooded fields that, though not far from dull apartment blocks, have an out-of-time seductiveness. The film captures a delicate moment in time before issues of childhood so much more complicated and calculated. The film reveals a side of childhood rarely (if ever) depicted on the big screen, yet it never feels like a curiosity piece, nor is Nelly portrayed as an outsider from a troubled home. Sciamma deserves great praise for what she has accomplished with a simple film addressing a complex subject. Against a backdrop of overly programmed 'issue dramas,' this superb movie is notable for its strong foundation in character and wholesale investment in psychological motivation, rather than salacious plotting. Quiet and naturalistic in the best way, the film rolls out a tale of malleable childhood identity with a marked absence of sensationalism. Sciamma is a filmmaking force to be reckoned with in the coming years. Her story-writing ability, deft hand at directing and understanding of her young actors makes her someone to watch.

Simon says Petite Maman receives:

Also, see my review for Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Portrait de la jeune fille en feu).