Navigating the pre-teen years can be a little daunting, especially when you’re the new kid in town. But throw in a little gender confusion, and childhood exploration can get even messier. Tomboy, a potent French coming-of-age film opening in Atlanta on Jan. 20, digs into this tricky territory with solid results.
Talented newcomer Zoe Heran is Laure, a 10-year-old tomboy whose family has just moved to a new neighborhood over the summer. With her mom nearly nine months pregnant and her parents focused on her new sibling’s arrival, Laure is often left to her own devices. When she’s not horsing around with her 6-year-old sister Jeanna (Malonn Levana, precocious in a good way), she ventures outside to meet the kids in the neighborhood.
The lone girl in Laure’s new peer group is Lisa (the excellent Jeanne Disson), who immediately takes a liking to Laure. Ah, but there’s a catch: For reasons unclear, Laure introduces herself as Mikael, the new boy in town. With her super-short haircut and androgynous features, it’s no surprise that her newfound friends fall for her ruse. Before long Laure is playing soccer with the boys and developing a fast friendship with Lisa.
As with most secrets, the deception becomes thornier with the passage of time. And as the lies pile up, the tension rises over what will happen if her young cohorts—not to mention her parents—discover the subterfuge. With the start of 4th grade approaching, something’s gotta give.
Writer/director Celine Sciamma, helming her second feature following the acclaimed Water Lilies, keeps Tomboy’s focus almost exclusively on the children, drawing uniformly strong performances from her young cast. She captures their playful games, budding maturity and quiet exchanges in a relaxed fashion that feels naturalistic but maintains enough narrative structure to avoid falling victim to the punishing aimlessness that often plagues similar fare. As a writer, she avoids over-the-top histrionics and keeps the story grounded, and it’s refreshing to see a relatively functional family portrayed on screen.
Despite its low budget and documentary aspects—the lack of music is one of many wise stylistic choices —Tomboy has the look of a polished production. Sciamma takes a semi-formalistic approach to the film’s visuals, teaming with cinematographer Crystel Fournierto frame several key moments in a more stylistic fashion, starting with the movie’s beautiful opening shot.
Being the new kid in town—heck, just being a kid—can elicit a range of ambiguous emotions. Tomboy unfolds without judgment, letting the viewer wrestle with these emotions and the process of growing more “mature.”
Grade: B
"Tomboy" opens in Atlanta on Jan. 20 at the Landmark Midtown Art Cinema.
Follow me at http://twitter.com/ATLFilmExaminer.
Comments