Ma vie en rose

I was once a "child" - full of awe, wonderment, and an overall appreciation of...just - being. Yes, just being!

We were all there at one point in our lives - whether you can, or choose too, remember at all.

That childhood was full of light. That childhood was full of naivete. That childhood was full of love.That childhood was full of innocence.

One day I realized that I was no longer a child. I don't know exactly how - nor when. The "light bulb" just turned on. I became a young adult. I knew "certain" things and realized "other" things. That's the day I lost "that childhood". I knew what other people expected of me.

"That childhood" is what we all long to return to. "That childhood" is the essence of pure love without conditions - and no expectations". That childhood" is what this movie is all about.

As an "unadulterated being" we see ourselves as the center of the universe. It is "our" world which all about us takes part in. "We" are the reason our parents go to work. "We" are the reason a billboard is placed in a certain spot. "We" are the reason for everything. "We" are neither plotters nor planners. "We" are not in it for ourselves - after all - the world is ALL about ourselves - innocently and faithfully we just know this.

Growing up is a slap in the face of "that childhood". There comes a time when all of society plops it's weight on the unconditional love we feel. There comes a time when all of society says to us "Wake up - this world is not yours".

I cried as I watched the real world crashing down on Ludovic.

This is not so much a story about gender identity as it is a story about the loss of "that childhood" innocence.

ROSTOV RATING:

*****Highly Recommended***** *****All Audiences - Ignore Rating***** *****Bring Tissues***** *****Buy/Rent?---->BUY*****

Why is this wonderful family movie rated "R"? Why, on cable, is this heart-warming gem preceded by warnings of "violence" and "adult content"? Ludicrous! Although told in an almost fable-like manner, "Ma vie en rose" is an all-too-rare depiction of believably real parents and children dealing with life's pressures together. Beautifully written, directed and acted, any child would benefit from watching this utterly delightful and thought-provoking film with their parents and discussing the struggles of little Ludovic and his family. Don't miss the opportunity.

Most comments submitted to this forum seem to give credit to the French cinema for bringing "Ma vie en rose" to the screen. While this is a co-production, the film is a Belgian movie, as well as its talented director, Alain Berliner, who co-wrote the screen treatment with Chris Vander Stappen.

We first saw this excellent film in a film festival before its commercial release. Thanks to IFCTV, which is airing it lately, we revisited it, and again, we were charmed by this unpretentious movie that has its heart in the right places. The idea of Ludovic, the young boy, who thinks of himself as a girl, has been discussed in some of the wonderful comments submitted to IMDb.

"Ma vie en rose" is a film that has the courage to tackle a subject that is different from all what one sees in mainstream movies. It also has a lot of messages for the viewer, but those issues are lightly handled by the writers, who had the common sense of treating the film in such manner, instead of throwing it one's face. In fact, it shows how resilient little Ludovis is in spite of all the rejection he suffers at the hands of his peers, as well as the adults, who should have a better understanding of the situation.

Little Georges de Fresne does excellent work under Mr. Berliner's direction. He is never bratty and one's heart goes to him because no child should suffer for something they didn't create and have no control about who they really are.

The R rating ought to be examined more closely. For a film that doesn't have any nudity, violence or sex, that classification seems too extreme by a film that should be watched by a wider cross section.

Thanks to Mr. Berliner for dealing with a taboo with a lot of class.

The most obvious way to read MA VIE EN ROSE is as the tale of difficulties faces by a very young boy who is very likely transgenderd--but given the multi-layered nature of the film this is actually a rather narrow point of view. It would be more accurate to describe the film as a rather sly assault on a cookie-cutter society that reacts with a herd mentality toward anything in the least unusual. And Ludovic Fabre is a most unusual child: barely into school, he has become convinced that he is a girl, and in his childhood innocence he sees absolutely nothing socially amiss with the idea.

The film begins with a party at which neighbors gather to welcome the newly arrived Fabre family--only to be, along with the family, extremely disconcerted when Ludovic makes an entrance in meticulously applied make-up and a pink dress. His family passes the incident off as a joke, but Ludovic proves remarkably single-minded, and when he draws a neighborhood child into his fantasies he also incurs neighborhood hysteria. The result is at once comic and unpleasantly vicious as his classmates, his neighbors, and eventually his family gradually turn upon him.

Although there are one or two problems with character development in the script, the cast--particularly Georges du Fresne as Ludovic and Helene Vincent as free-spirit grandmother Elizabeth--is superlative, and director Alain Berliner balances the serio-comic story with a very light touch. Viewers will laugh a little, cry a little, and ultimately come away from the film feeling an uncertain hope. The fact that this film is rated "R" is merely so much more evidence of the power of the herd to dictate standards of normalcy--one or two profanities aside, there is absolutely nothing in the film to offend any intelligent viewer, and the film will hold a special appeal for older children who have been targeted as in any way different by their peers... and for the many adults who remember what it was like to be a victim of a society that prizes conformity over imagination, creativity, honesty, integrity, and self-awareness. Strongly recommended.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer

"My Life in Pink" is an entertaining, often thought provoking film on the nature of being true to one's self, and of parental and public reaction when the truth expressed is controversial. Interest is maintained throughout through a well crafted production, in which all elements unite and work smoothly. The various points of view of the situation are nicely dramatized, and honestly presented.