“Ponette” is an interesting study in the life and thought process of small children. Unfortunately, it is little more than that.
This highly-acclaimed French film and its star, youngster Victoire Thivisol, has won the hearts of reviewers and audiences worldwide, but for reasons somewhat unbeknownst to me. “Ponette” is intriguing in a documentary sort of a way, but as a heart-tugging drama, it didn’t hit its mark.
Thivisol, as the title character, and director Jacques Doillon, are confronted with an unusual challenge: how to present heartbreak through the eyes of a four year old. This would be the age that youngsters fully comprehend what is going on around them, but not necessarily why.
“Ponette,” the story of a young girl trying to understand and confront the death of her mother, takes this challenge head on, and presents what is possibly a flawless version of four-year-old life. However, this flawlessness fails to be more than technical perfection. The actual effectiveness of the film is somewhat suspect.
Perhaps the main problem of the film is the complete single-mindedness of direction. Throughout the entire film, Ponette hears various theories as to what happened to her mother after she died, yet none help. So, for most of the film, Ponette is hopelessly sad. The camera rarely leaves her sullen face, and the overall dreariness of the movie detracts from what could have been a better effort.
The cast, beyond the lead, is made up of a few parts (not really characters) that are more ornaments to Ponette than anything else.
There is Ponette’s father (Xavier Beauvois), who is somewhat heartless about the loss of her mother (whether or not the parents were married we never learn), but tries to comfort his daughter occasionally.
Then there are Ponette’s cousins (Matiaz Bureau and Delphine Schiltz), who are typical four year olds, sometimes rejecting Ponette for her constant grieving, sometimes trying to make her feel better.
To give credit where credit is due, Victoire Thivisol is amazing. In an era where “child actor” is all too often defined as Macaulay Culkin, she is charming, interesting, and above all, talented. Were it not for her standout performance, the film would have completely flopped.
As it was, “Ponette” wasn’t a wasted movie-going experience, just too highly-touted. I’ve never seen a movie that so accurately (and believably) portrays interaction between four-year-olds. Oscar material, though, it is not.
Grade: C-