Mignon est partie

Mignon is a French teenager from a wealthy family who is forced to move in with her much poorer Italian relatives when her own family falls apart. First, she is like a fish on dry land, but soon she forms an unlikely bond with one of her Italian cousins.

This film is not easily described by a plot summary, because not an awful lot is happening, without this being an uneventful film. This is about real people in real life, their hopes and anxieties, their family life, their love life, their life. It is about teenagers growing up and coping with their emerging sexuality, about jealousy and trust, about families breaking apart, about families sticking together.

The performances by the cast are generally very good, although I sometimes felt that Mignon and her cousin were overdoing their parts just a little. In any case an excellent performance by Stefania Sandrelli as "Mama", the anchor of the family.

Mignon è partita is a well-made quiet family drama, but it isn't for everyone. I could imagine many Americans struggling to relate to these characters -- it is a very European film.