Sep 11

Sep 11 TIFF 2021 film review: 'Petite Maman'

A little girl grieves the loss of her grandmother and emotional isolation from her mother in Céline Sciamma's intimate drama 'Petite Maman' (screening during the 46th Toronto International Film Festival).

In short: After young Nelly's grandmother passes away, her family returns to clean out her mother's childhood home. While Lucy explores the home where her grandmother lived, she befriends a little girl building a treehouse in the nearby woods.

The film opens with 'goodbye' between Lucy and an elderly woman. Given the film's synopsis, it's easy to assume this is Lucy's grandmother - but it's quickly revealed that this is one of many elderly women Lucy has befriended - women she's saying goodbye to, as her grandmother's room sits empty. That fact that 'Maman' begins shortly after Lucy's grandmother has died only accentuates the hole in the lives of Lucy and her parents. And the fact that this is not a goodbye between Lucy and her grandmother distills one of the film's deeply held regrets.

'Maman' takes a surprising and slightly surreal turn when Lucy meets Marion. The two girls look exactly the same (they're played by twin sisters Joséphine and Gabrielle Sanz) and they're the same age. Just when the film appears to be a straightforward exploration of grief, 'Maman' unexpectedly pivots closer to the realm of low-key fantasy. The film doesn't waste one moment trying to explain the magical realism to explain how Lucy was able to meet Marion. And with its lean 72-minute runtime, 'Maman' had more than enough time to wedge in some ham-handed exposition - but 'Maman' invests its time focusing on the profoundly beautiful connection between the two new friends.

At various points in the first act, Lucy asks her parents what they were like as children. Her father and mother try to share small insights into what they were like as kids - but their answers, though well-intentioned, seem to just fall short for Lucy. 'Maman' explores the hypothetical of a parent and child meeting and playing as friends. Although Lucy is 8-years-old, the script realizes she's capable of deeply felt thoughts about her relationship and her anxieties. While her relationship with her mother is quiet and at arms-length, Lucy and Marion share their innermost worries, with the directness of childhood.

Sciamma's focused and fantastical film is grounded in its emotional honesty and relatability. Every child has lost a grandparent. And many adult parents have lost a parent of their own. 'Maman' affords Lucy insight into Marion's life - allowing her to get the answers that she can't seem to get from her well-meaning but emotionally distant parents. Every moment of 'Maman' feels extremely personal, making its lingering grief and childhood joy all the more authentic and honest.

Final verdict: Céline Sciamma has crafted a thoughtful, disarming rumination on loss through the eyes of a child and the connection between a mother and her daughter.