Ma vie en rose

The French have been known to make several great movies, in my opinion and this it one of their bests. Georges Du Fresne's stunning performance makes you smile, as well as makes you think. The idea of getting to know yourself has been around for a long time and his character had a long way to go to getting to know himself.

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

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.

Being a movie fanatic and reviewer, I was invited to the "Semaine du Cinema Francophone" in Beirut (francophone cinema week). The movie taught me the word "tolerance" as I was one of these stupid guys who mocked on effeminate people. (Maybe to reject my desire at this age to be free to disguise myself, like Ludovic did in the movie). What I know is that being in a place that was supposed to gather cultivated people, journalists and movie reviewers, cinema lovers, artists, etc. I was chocked to hear people laughing at some scenes that were supposed to be moving, sensitive and very important humanely. Also the sound going out public mouth: "tsss tsss tsss" was so chocking that I felt more the pressure of "non-tolerant' society inside the movie theater itself, more than the pressure Ludovic had to endure in his story. My personality was projected into Ludovic who suffered his moments in the film, while I was personally suffering inside the theater and trying to vibe with the movie, despite chocked snobbish people's reaction. An excellent movie. Rather a drama than a comedy!

I found this movie extremely painful for me to watch, as I saw little Ludovic just trying to be what he feels in his heart is his true role: as a young girl. He even (as young children tend to do) plans to marry one of his classmates, but only when he can become a female, as apparently he sees that that is the only form of coupling between people -- male & female.

He has to fight off the fear and resentment of his neighbors, classmates, and even members of his family as he insists on trying to become a girl. The most disturbing factor of this movie is that Ludovic remains innocent and rather naive as to why his wants are so wrong, and no one really bothers to explain to him why it is seen as unseemly and even perhaps immoral.

The most fascinating point seems to be how his relationships with his family members shift throughout the storyline; his father takes the standard role of masculinely denying that his son is very effeminate and then gradually accepting his little quirk, while his mother acts supportive and concerned for him only until her social life and connections are threatened by the way others view Ludovic. She becomes the ultimate antagonist, because a mother's role is to be loving, caring, and supportive of all of her child's wants, and she throws those all away just so that she can blame their family's downfall on someone other than herself.

I seriously recommend this film to anyone who is either an emotional masochist or is interested in studying varied interpretations of how a family may react to the uncommon wants of a little, innocent boy.