PETITE MAMAN

An emotional connection, so essential to coming-of-age tales like Petite Maman, is mostly missing in this film.

A cute idea isn't explored with enough profoundness or emotion in Petite Maman, Céline Sciamma's follow-up to the widely praised Portrait of a Lady on Fire.

Told from the viewpoint of an 8-year-old girl helping her parents clear the house of her recently deceased gran, the picture recounts a magical meeting with her mom, when she was an 8-year-old. As the kids, played with charm and authenticity by real-life siblings Joséphine and Gabrielle Sanz, find out about each other's lives, intriguing themes like grief, memory and family bonds are touched upon, but too subtly to leave a real mark.

In fact, throughout its brisk runtime Petite Maman always feels more like an expanded short film than a true feature, as Sciamma's anecdotal approach merely scratches the surface. Because of this an emotional connection, so essential to coming-of-age tales like these, is mostly missing and - despite the film's nice grasp on moods, sounds and nostalgia- you are never engulfed by the necessary childlike awe and wonder.

release: 2021

director: Céline Sciamma

starring: Joséphine Sanz, Gabrielle Sanz, Nina Meurisse, Stéphane Varupenne