Tomboy
5/7/2012
There have been countless coming of age movies made in
countless different ways and approaches, but "Tomboy" is quite the
unique achievement. Directed by Celine
Sciamma of the previously reviewed "Water Lilies", "Tomboy"
is a heartfelt look at a 10 year old girl's summer as a boy.
Laure is at that stage in her life were she looks rather
androgynous, her hair is short, she wears gender neutral clothes and is trying
to figure out who she is. Her and her
family have just moved to a new town and she is searching for a place to
belong. She meets Lisa, a neighbor girl
about her age, and after a moment introduces herself as Michael. Michael then meets up with a group of other
neighborhood kids who also accept her as a boy.
Laure's family life is quite loving and supportive. Her mother is pregnant with her third, while
her father holds down a good job. She is
also best friends with her 6 year old sister.
So why does she feel the need to have people thinks she is a boy?
Michael keeps pushing the boundaries of how far she can go
as a boy and there are a few moments of embarrassment along the way. He/she
develops a pretty close relationship with Lisa and you start to wonder if she
knows who he/she really is. Laure's life
as a boy is kept a tight secret from her parents, but when her sister finds
out, she helps keep the secret and they have a fun time with it. Michael/Laure is very protective of her
little sister so when one the kids in the group is mean to her, she takes
offense and fights the kid, and wins.
This prompts the kids mother to visit Laure's mother and her secret is
spilled. Determined to set things
straight Laure's mother puts a dress on her and brings her to the boys house
and then to Lisa's to show them she who she really is. The mother is not angry that Laure is acting
and dressing like a boy, but that she has been lying to everybody around her
about who she really is. Laure is also,
remember, 10 years old and is acting in the moment. Will she be like this when she is 15? 20? 30?
I would think this is probably just a
phase, but the film doesn't give any direct answers. It's just a short glimpse into the life of a
girl and her family.
The realism and acting in this film is nothing short of
extraordinary. It is not overly dramatized
and melodramatic, but through that acting, the characters, and the simplistic
story there is something to it that makes it feel so authentic. Zoë Haren is the young actress who plays
Laure/Michael and is the driving force behind its success. "Tomboy" is a good
"discussion" movie. Does it
have ulterior motives? Why does Laure
pretend to be a boy? and many other things could be asked of it. The film has won a few international awards
and can currently be seen on several On Demand services.
