#stephane varupenne

[escapismthroughfilm]

#158

[randomrichards]

PETITE MAMAN:

When her mother dies

Mom cleans out childhood home

Daughter meets new friend

[365filmsbyauroranocte]

Petite Maman (Céline Sciamma, 2021)

[letterboxd-loggd]

Petite Maman (2021) Céline Sciamma

March 19th 2022

[adscinema]

Céline Sciamma - Petite Maman (2021)

https://mk2films.com/en/film/petite-maman

[thejacksmit]

First Take: Petite Maman - the Screen Unseen charm strikes again

SYNOPSIS: Eight-year-old Nelly has just lost her beloved grandmother and is helping her parents clean out her mother’s childhood home. She explores the house and the surrounding woods where her mother used to play and where she built the treehouse Nelly has heard so much about. One day her mother suddenly leaves. That is when Nelly meets a girl of her own age in the woods, building a treehouse.

We needed to do a longer synopsis for this film, because it is a brilliant example of the kind of movie Odeon’s Screen Unseen can deliver. At just 1 hour 12 minutes, every single customer in screen 4 felt confused, baffled, and shocked when the BBFC card came up, and the French audio kicked in. Little did we know that we were in for another Celine Sciamma masterclass.

Sciamma - director of Tomboy, Waterlilies, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, and her most mainstream work, Girlhood - delivers a simple, yet powerful tale of two girls who have a much bigger bond than they realise. To say more than that would ruin the plot, which she has crafted so incredibly well, and even with the subtitles, her writing comes alive in a way which makes that short runtime feel like it’s delivering way more than 72 ordinary minutes. It is shot brilliantly by Claire Mathon, and once again, frequent Sciamma collaborator Jean-Baptiste de Laubier (better known as Para One) chimes in where needed when it comes to the music. But what of the cast?

The performances are arguably the emotional core of this film, with Josephine and Gabrielle Sanz playing those roles to perfection, and supporting them is Nina Meurisse, Stephane Varupenne, and Margot Abascal- this is a real slow burner of a film, as the 12 walkouts proved, but for the 52 or so of us who seen it out to the end at Preston, we all left in a great mood, because while this film deals with some heavy themes, it does it in a way which makes it feel more grown up than the U certificate. It is seriously worth seeking out, because this is a real gateway into the world of European cinema. 

THE VERDICT

This film will not get the love it deserves, namely because of a congested release schedule - but if you like your foreign and arthouse cinema, seek this film out. It’s not Sciamma’s strongest work, but my god, does it grow on you afterwards.

RATING: 4.5/5

Petite Maman is in selected UK cinemas from November 19th, and will be available to stream on MUBI from February 4th.

[falliero]

La Nuit des rois, de Shakespeare, par Thomas Ostermeier, avec Adeline d’Hermy, Georgia Scalliet, Stephane Varupenne, Sébastien Pouderoux, Laurent Stocker et Christophe Montenez (à Comédie-Française) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtTLplJADCv/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1xsf3xi11ob40

[letterboxd-loggd]

Petite Maman (2021) Céline Sciamma

February 19th 2022