PETITE MAMAN REVIEW

 *MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

In 2019, Céline Sciamma wrote and directed Portrait of a Lady on Fire, a historical romantic drama that focused on the intimate relationship between two women. At the Cannes Film Festival that year, the film won the Queer Palm, with Sciamma winning an award for Best Screenplay. Portrait of a Lady on Fire was critically acclaimed, with most of them describing it as a “singularly rich period piece that finds stirring, thought provoking drama within a powerfully acted romance”. Because of this, expectations were high for Sciamma’s latest film, Petite Maman. 
After her grandmother dies, Nelly (Joséphine Sanz) is taken to her mother's childhood home. While her parents go about cleaning out the house, Nelly explores the surrounding woods. She encounters Marion (Gabrielle Sanz), a girl exactly Nelly's age and to whom she bears a striking resemblance. The pair become fast friends, constructing a hut together, sharing lunches, and talking over the life transitions both are in the midst of. (Marion is only days away from going to hospital for an operation.) Incrementally, the girls' eerie similarities yield revelations that merge events of the past with those of the present.

Like Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Petite Maman is a moving and heartfelt drama. Sciamma’s script is thematic and explores the relationship between Nelly and another young girl who is the same age. However, it doesn’t take long for Nelly to realise that the girl is her mother, Marion. This discovery isn’t a major revelation or plot twist but is revealed early on in the film. Instead of trying to explain how this is possible, Sciamma focuses more on the friendship that forms between Nelly and Marion as they play together. Although little happens over its 72 minute runtime, Petite Maman is rarely anything less than a lighthearted drama that makes for a quick and easy watch.

What was most impressive about Petite Maman were the performances delivered by sisters, Joséphine and Gabrielle Sanz. Unsurprisingly, they share chemistry and work really well together. Joséphine is perfectly sweet as Nelly who is saddened by her grandmother’s recent death. Her mother (Nina Meurisse) is also upset by this tragedy, leading to her leaving Nelly to be taken care of by her father (Stéphane Varupenne). Joséphine’s sister, Gabrielle, is equally as impressive as the younger version of Nelly’s mother, Marion, who is nervous about an upcoming operation but is happy to have made a new friend in Nelly. They spend their time together in the forest and at Marion’s home making pancakes and play acting. The friendship between Nelly and Marion is where Petite Maman is at its most heartwarming. 

Petite Maman is being released in cinemas in the UK on November 19th, however, I was able to watch it a few days earlier at ODEON’s Screen Unseen which provides viewers with a mystery film. On social media, ODEON posted clues that hinted at Petite Maman’s plot. Although there were quite a lot of people in my screening, unfortunately, most of them exited when the film was revealed to be Petite Maman. What is most disappointing about this is that they didn’t give it a chance and walked out before the film had even started. Although I can imagine some of those people were probably expecting Ghostbusters: Afterlife (which is release the day before Petite Maman), it’s likely that it’ll make a lot of money at the box office as it’s a sequel to the 1984 comedy hit, Ghostbusters, however, Petite Maman will probably be overlooked when it’s released later this week. While it’s great that these blockbusters are finally being released after cinemas were closed due to the pandemic, we need to be giving original films such as Petite Maman a chance as, in my opinion, they’re more meaningful and leave more of a lasting impression.

I can’t imagine those who enjoyed Portrait of a Lady on Fire being disappointed with what Céline Sciamma has created with Petite Maman. With her latest film, Sciamma continues to impress with her unique filmmaking skills and has created a meaningful and thematic drama.

8/10