Tomboy (2011)

When ten-year-old Laure moves to a Parisian suburb with her parents and younger sister, Jeanne, it is a difficult transition with a new neighbourhood to make home, new friends to find and a new school with which to contend. Although her parents clearly love her and Jeanne looks up to her as the ultimate big sister, Laure has issues of her own that isolate her from the world. Laure resists the stereotyping foisted upon young French girls and is content to run free in shorts and t-shirt as a tomboy and her parents seem at ease with her choice.

However, when she makes her first foray into friendship with a group of children who will soon be her peers at school, she introduces herself as Mickäel and they happily accept that she is a boy. Welcomed as part of the group of boys who swim and play football, Mickäel also forms a bond of friendship with Lisa (Jeanne Disson), a 'regular' girl, who sees in him a gentleness and sensitivity that is absent in the boys with whom she, too, has kicked around.

While never actually stated, the probability of Laure/Mickäel being (unnoticed, undiagnosed or just ignored) transgender is evident but writer/director Céline Sciamma prefers to take the gentler approach of studying social norms of gender types rather than a no-holds-barred sexual exploration.

Tomboy is a beautifully subtle film that is dialogue-light but filled with the language of silence and unarticulated glances. The three young principals are confident and natural in their performances and Sciamma appears content to sit back and let them play their parts fluidly and without strict direction. The relationship between Laure/Mickäel and Jeanne is particularly sensitively handled with the role of big sister meandering between the two according to circumstances.

There is little input from the parents, and they are credited simply as La mere and La père, but when the girls' mother steps into the scene her impact is immediate and stirs both judgment and understanding in the viewer.

While Tomboy suggests questions that could be asked, it stops short of dictating the answers and, instead, makes a suggestion that we may accept or condemn and, though some may find the subject matter uncomfortable, one hopes those very few who are attracted to this lovely film are not of the camp given to prejudice and fear-inspired anger.

Tomboy is a gentle film that deserves to be watched quietly and savoured in the company of gentle people.

Fmovies: This film was a heartfelt film and had a great story and message. The film, cast, and all was wonderful. I recommend it to everyone. May God bless this film. If you haven't yet seen it go see or purchase the DVD because this film will move you and I love how the message brings the film alive. This film has it's moments and it will bring tears to your eyes throughout the entire film I recommend it no matter what if you see it you'll keep watching it over and over again. I have. No words, and nothing else to say about this project. This film is 100% wonderful in many ways. This film will open up doors for you and it'll show how much a child encounters many things and the message will bring you something to share in a wonderful way. I've never seen a film like this before and it's my first time and I really enjoyed it and I know you will too.

"Tomboy" is a French coming-of-age drama featuring Zoe Heran as Laure, who has just moved to a new neighborhood and is looking for new friends. She sees the camaraderie among the boys and as a result decides to pretend to be a boy and tells everyone that she is Michael.

Michael becomes close to Jeanne(Malonn Levana), plays soccer, has water fights and swims with the other kids in what could be a typical summertime anywhere.

The child-actors, particularly Zoe Heran are very believable. Laure/Michael is on screen most of the time and is an actress to watch for in the future.

Zoe(Michael/Laure) is contrasted with a very feminine little sister illustrating how different even close siblings can be. Most directors don't edit enough, but this feature felt a bit short at 79 minutes. It is worth your time for Ms. Horan's performance.

Tomboy fmovies. It feels like a time gone by of dreamy focused, eternally youthful, summer days: running around in woods, water fights, wrestling, sitting out of football matches, Play-Doh spaghetti, and feeling too scared to stand next to the other boys to pee.

With an approach that is far more Boys Don't Cry than it is Mrs Doubtfire, and by hitting upon gender identity during pre-puberty, a lengthy and distancing make-up job can be avoided.

And so without a rubber nose nor silicone jaw in sight, little Zoé Héran is left stripped bare, literally, to "play boy", with performance alone. And her performance as Laure / Mikael is nothing short of genius.

Masculinity is a hard act to pull off, but pre-pubescent masculinity is such a fine and narrow ledge between forced and feminine that it's incredible that it feels so effortless for a ten year old actress. Compare this to Glenn Close and Janet McTeer in Albert Nobbs, and they feel even more like Little Britain characters than they ever did tearing along the beach screaming "I'm a ladyÂ…" And they both got Oscar nominationsÂ…?

Zoe is surrounded by a cast of unbelievably naturalistic fellow children; her six-year old sister Jeanna, and the relationship they share is so intimate and convincing that every now and then I simply couldn't imagine there being a camera and film crew right up in their playful, cute as a button, faces.

Her burgeoning relationship with new neighbor Lisa, is as delightful as it is frightful, as you know that at some point there has to be a denouncement that Mikael is not all he seems – and for those of you that have experienced it, you thought that finding out your boyfriend was gay was tough?

Maybe, just maybe, it's because they're talking French that the performances and dialogue feel flawless – murmur in Parisian tones underneath sparse subtitles and I'm sold – or maybe it's because elsewhere they just don't grow 'em like they grow 'em in France.

The script, story, direction and cinematography are enviable, and throughout you hold a little silent prayer in your heart that it's not going to end up, like Brandon Teena, in a ditch.

Laure, the tomboy of the title, moves because of Dad's job to a new neighbourhood and has to negotiate the minefield of finding new friends. With her short-cropped hair and boyish looks, it is easy for Laure to pass herself off as a boy. So she does. Existing as Mikael, she digs a hole deeper and deeper for herself during summer holidays. With the start of school approaching, friendships made and romances embarked upon, something has to give.

The film works in large part due to the casting. Zoé Héran as Laure / Mikael is so convincing as a boy that when she does finally don a dress it just looks... wrong. A double for a young Sting, she has an easy charisma and strong expression that makes her every move unmissable. Mikael is befriended by Lisa, a precocious Jeanne Disson, and young love blossoms in bizarre circumstances. As strong as these two performances are, Malonn Lévana Malonn as Laure's little sister Jeanne steals every scene she is in. Given a secret to keep half-way through, she crackles and delights every time you see her and wonder if she can keep the confidence.

As delightful as the children are, the theme of a young girl yearning to be a boy is presented but hardly explored. The film is episodic, one summer in the life of a mixed up girl. Laure's reasons for taking things so far are never dealt with beyond surface levels, and no resonance to wider concerns in society are present. The narrative strains with such insubstantial fare, but never breaks. Fans of such coming-of-age tales as Stand By Me or Yamada's Village of Dreams will enjoy this tale.

It is not often that I remain seated after the credits role, but after watching this film, I just did not want to move. The film left me feeling so good about the beauty in this world and the love of a family, that I was content to just sit in my seat for a while.

The film takes on some challenging themes but does so with such beauty and craft that it gives you renewed belief in the good of the world. And the mesmerising relationship between the two sisters certainly reminds you of the very special and unmatched love between siblings.

The performance of the main character is brilliant but the star of the show is definitely the younger sister whose character portrayal is positively behind the years for such a young actress. Special mention must also go to the supporting character Lisa - again another young actress who's portrayal of an emotional and thoughtful young girl is quite beyond her years. These three young actresses are sure to be future stars.

I highly recommend this film to anyone and everyone!