Director: Christophe Ruggia
Starring: Adele Haenel, Vincent Rottiers, Jacques Bonnaffé, Rochdy Labidi, Aurélia Petit, Dominique Reymond

- Reviewed by Vickie

Here's a film that would never be made in North America. Not as it exists in its current form, anyway.

Frank, disturbing and somewhat unsettling, this French drama follows two orphans—Joseph (Vincent Rottiers) and the possibly autistic Chloé (Adèle Haenel)—as they set out to find the parents who abandoned them in the streets years earlier. It's kind of a coming-of-age road movie with the sort of eye-opening, um, "flourishes" the French are known for. Joseph and Chloé, who does not speak, have been on their own for years, shuffling between foster homes and institutions... usually running away and being brought back over and over again. It's not really clear what's wrong with Chloé, but she's soothed by savant-like mosiacs she creates with pieces of broken glass. As the pair carry on with their journey towards a dreamed-up home they imagine to be their own, they commit crimes, flee bullies, escape an orphanage and slowly begin to discover the truth about themselves and growing up.

I say this film would never be made in here because of its stark portrayal of budding sexuality between the two children. Chloé is, at times, totally nude onscreen—full frontal—which would raise more than a few MPAA eyebrows given the fact that the actress playing her was 12 at the time. It's not a fun film to watch, and the unsettled feeling filmgoers get in their stomachs pops up several times over the course of the story.

It's a powerfully affecting film, though, and it has a sort of haunting quality. Joseph and Chloé, however flawed their thinking might be, are nothing if not dedicated to each other and determined in their goals. And the two young actors, whom director Christophe Ruggia explained were actually disturbed children he had worked with for six months prior to shooting, were excellent.

Agree? Disagree? Go to the Forum!  |  Back to Currently Playing | Back to Toronto 2002

Home | Currently Playing | For Rent | Video Obsession 
Movie Forum | Guestbook | Links | "Get to know us!"

©2002 Moviepie e-mail us