Tomboy

[jeanelle]

I thought this was very well done, excellent acting from quite young children and very believable.

Don't think it would have been made in America or even here, the French have a different attitude.

Worth getting up for.

PS Lovely to see all the aforementioned FMUKers and esp to meet Beate, hopeprince and ukacpam.

[ejwrank]

David, husband and I all really liked the film. I found it to be charming, sad and sweet in equal measure and an excellent watch. It is slowly paced and that takes some getting used to -- languid might sound better than slow. And for a change I found I really liked the characters and I felt something for them. And I am glad to see another film directed by a woman-- a bit of a rarity.

Lovely to see so many FMUKers and again I did not have the chance to make an introduction. First I miss
Sunny Saver meeting a_person and now I miss jeancomp meeting Beate. David and I first met jeancomp back in April at the Apollo and she bravely asked me if I was an FMUKer as she heard me ask the entire back row to pass a prezzie down to Beate's OH. I take credit for encouraging her to post more which of course I shouldn't as it is all down to her.

[elski]

A low key and beautifully judged film. Wonderfully shot and acted. Zoe Heran was fantastic as Laure and yes her sister stole all the scenes she was in (wiser than her years but not in an annoyingly fake Hollywood way). The scenes of kids at play were very naturalistic and I was especially impressed at how they dealt with the fact that the smallest things could give Laure's situation away.

Thank god they didn't feel the need to come up with reasons for why Laure was more comfortable with a more masculine appearance. Telling it entirely from the children's perspective meant that the wider issues of gender and identity didn't need to be dealt with in specific detail. I'm sure most kids growing up don't fully understand the feelings they start to have and the way they are more comfortable being, so why should the filmmakers spell everything out. Whether it's just an adolescent phase or an indication of how Laure will be as an adult is left up to the audiences to decide for themselves.

Overall I found this very charming and entertaining. At under 90 mins it also never outstayed it's welcome. I have the director's debut film Water Lilies on video somewhere and never got around to watching it. I might have to dig it out and watch it at some point.

Great review & you've saved me having to write one (and it wouldn't be as good anyway). You probably will enjoy Water Lilies it's along the same theme of teenage sexuality/ identity and similar pace etc I saw it at the cinema but it was also on Film4 a couple of months back.

I really liked the pacing maybe it was more suitable for a Sunday afternoon? It also brought back memories of what it felt like moving to new places & trying to make friends and what it was like to have a proper summer ... and kids out playing & not glued to computer games.

9/10

I think Beate's review needs some spoiler captions adding, just because you don't like a film seems a bit unfair to go and spoil the whole film for others that might like it.

[David]

Really liked this one (which is a relief as the last few I've seen have been pretty underwhelming). https://moviefilmreviews.wordpress.com/ ... ew-tomboy/

[shmile]

saw this earlier too and having not read any reviews or watched any trailers was surprised to actually really like the film
great funny moments at times and thought it was pretty good
8/10

[hopeprince]

saw this earlier too and having not read any reviews or watched any trailers was surprised to actually really like the film
great funny moments at times and thought it was pretty good
8/10

Where you at Piccadilly? If so where were you sitting?

[The Sparrow]

One thing that crossed my mind was the clothes that Laure wore. They looked to me to be boys shorts, tops etc so surely her mother would have b*ght them which to miy mind at least, made the mother's reaction a little odd. I was a tomboy at Laure's age but my shorts etc were girl's clothing.

I did enjoy the film though, charming and perfect for a Sunday morning.

[prettyxcool]

Glad everyone liked this film. Enjoyed reading KK and David's review, as ever both very well written and I can see their point of views too.

Interesting but slow. Got a bit bored. Took my mum and she yawned quite loudly a few times! I apologise if that disturbed anyone.

The little sister stole the film though, she was funny and much more interesting.

6/10, as it was at the Apollo, and we had nice company in Beate, ejwrank, David, ucakpam and hopeprince. And it was nice they let us in early so we got to have a nice chat before the screening started. And 11.30am start is a much better time than the 10.30am or 10am start!

Just want to add to my initial review which I posted from my phone this morning.

Also thought this was well acted and well portrayed by the three young actresses (the two sisters and Lisa). Seen through the eyes of the children, very realistic [spoiler]especially Laure/Michaël asked to apologise after a fight, when the other boy should have apologised for bullying the little sister, typical the victim always becomes the one in the wrong.[/spoiler] The chemistry between the sisters were brilliant and lovely to see how normal the family unit is, and some lovely tender moments. Laure/Michaël's predicament is very sensitively told too.

I may have been harsh with my earlier mark but that was because I felt unsatisfied, as it seemed to meander too slowly for me and showing a very idealistic life, the other important characters were too generalised and not developed substantially, especially when they play a very important part in the turning point of the story, and their actions dominates the latter part of the film. May be I am too used to watching films that are longer these days and expected more! And this shorter length left me lacking and wanting more!

[elski]

I did think that near the end when [spoiler]they panned up into the trees that it might pan down and show her a few years later where it might have answered a few questions as to what it meant and whether it was a phase or something more permanent.[/spoiler]
But overall I liked it as is was, just a snapshot of childhood. Some of the scenes of the kids chatting & playing reminded me of Tree of Life as they felt very natural and not scripted.

[pcRock]

One thing that crossed my mind was the clothes that Laure wore. They looked to me to be boys shorts, tops etc so surely her mother would have b*ght them which to miy mind at least, made the mother's reaction a little odd. I was a tomboy at Laure's age but my shorts etc were girl's clothing.

You make a valid point, maybe if she had an older brother it would make more sense?
As a child I really looked like a boy. I had short hair (like the girl in the movie) and wore the clothes that used to belong to my older brother. I was a proper tomboy too. That's why I was very interested in watching this film.

It was lovely to see and chat with the aforementioned FMUKers.