By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Maïmouna Doucouré
Starring: Esther Gohourou | Fathia Youssouf | Ilanah Cami-Goursolas | Médina El Aidi-Azouni
Original language title: Mignonnes
Country: france
Year: 2020
Running time: 96
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9196192/reference
Michael says: “Diane suggested we watch the film CUTIES for our weekly film discussion because of all the controversy it had been getting, and I’m glad she did, because otherwise I probably never would have watched it. Apparently most of the hoopla stems from the original poster that the Netflix used to promote the film featuring four members of an inappropriately-clad dance troupe, all 11-years-old. Immediately Netflix began receiving messages from customer telling them to take down the film or else they would lose subscribers. They opposed the film because of the way it sexualized children. Naturally, most of these complainers didn’t actually watch the film, because that is exactly the point director Maïmouna Doucour was addressing (in part) in her feature film debut. She also asked Netflix to change the poster for the film, which she had no idea they were going to use, and they did.
“CUTIES is a coming-of-age film about Amy, a young Senegalese girl who has relocated to France with her mother and younger son. Her father was due to join them later. She is unprepared for her first day at school, and the other young girls who seem to rule the schoolyard with their provocative clothing and dance moves. Amy is immediately fascinated – especially coming from a culture that views women’s exposure as sinful. Being a stranger in a strange land is hard enough, but Amy also discovers something of a shameful circumstance that her mother is trying to cope with that she can’t quite grapple with either, and as she learns more and more about Western European culture, starts making some friends, her home culture starts to feel more stifling and restrictive with each passing day. Amy begins to act out in ways that are both extreme and childish… as an 11-year-old might.
“The sexualization of children is without-a-doubt a rampant problem that western cultures face, but Doucour handles is remarkably well, especially in the context of a Muslim culture. When women perform this type of athletic dancing, often very scantily clad, there can be something empowering when viewed by a young girl. They are strong, they are confident, they are proud of their bodies. The connection to sex is nowhere really to be seen, especially when seen from the point-of-view of someone for whom sex is an unknown mystery. Amy and the other girls don’t equate the sexual dance moves she comes up with as sexual, just as dancing. But the dancing is only one outlet for Amy’s desire to be her own person, and the film is careful to show that.
“I loved the way Doucour infused her realistic film with just a hint of magical realism in just the right moments. Fathia Youssouf does a commendable job in her first film as Amy. Much of her acting must be internal as she experiences things she has never experienced before. I very much enjoyed the role of Amy’s mother, played by Maïmouna Gueye, whose character turns out to be much more nuanced than first expected. Definitely worth a view, and keep any eye out for Maïmouna Doucour who is a director with some great instincts and talent to match. 4 cats”
Jeff says: “Thank you for the review, Michael. Kate and I watched it Friday evening, but it was along week, and I was, frankly, too beat to attend the discussion (instead, we watched the hilarious GET DUKED!, for which I will try to put up a review later).
“Your summing up of the controversy around the film was maybe too polite to also mention the ham-fisted attempts on the part of Republicans to politicize it (as they are also doing with Netflix’s adaption of Liu Cixin’s novels; since when do Republicans care about human rights in China, eh?, but I digress, sorry).
“Your review says everything about CUTIES that I felt after watching it. Spot on! I would also like to mention some other facets that caught my attention: The glorious soundtrack. To veer from Arabic rap to Vivaldi would seem to be non-intuitive, but it works magnificently.
“The small but crucial role of the imam summoned to cast out Amy’s demons, a man we would expect to be a rigid conservative, but who turns out to be as kind and understanding as your favorite uncle. Not only does the film’s resolution turn on his performance, but, in only a few words, he utterly humanizes Islam, devastating the view of it as cruel and unyielding.
“That final shot, seeing Amy come into her own, confident and at peace with herself, is as powerful as I’ve seen in any movie this year. Marvelous.
Thank you, Diane, for the recommendation.”
Chris says: “Obviously the ‘controversy’ around this was manufactured, although watching it, you can see how easily it lent itself to such misinterpretation. As films about bratty kids go, I personally found it less annoying than THE FLORIDA PROJECT, thanks to lead Fathia Youssouf and the nuanced direction she’s given. However, it kinda goes off the rails a bit with that bathroom scene, and the resolution feels somewhat pat. So, slightly less good than Celine Sciamma’s GIRLHOOD, but full of promise with some decent cinematography. 3 cats”