Ma Vie en Rose Movie Review

Seven-year-old Ludovic (Georges DuFresne) wants nothing better from life than to be a little girl, to dress like a fairy princess, to play with his doll Pam, and to marry his playmate Jerome (Julien Riviere). His parents pray it's just a phase. But the neighbors in their new suburban home, who had seemed so nice at first, treat Ludovic's entire family—including his two brothers and teenaged sister—like pariahs. Mother Hanna (Michele Laroque) and Father Pierre (Jean-Philipe Ecoffey) love their little boy, but are deeply distressed at being placed in Coventry, particularly since Jerome's dad Albert (Daniel Hanssens) is Pierre's new boss. How do they solve a problem like Ludovic? Alain Berliner sympathetically examines Ludovic's world and shows how what seems simple and reassuring for very young children (to be themselves) is complex and threatening for the grown-ups in their lives. Jerome is more than happy to be part of the fantasy wedding envisioned by Ludovic so why does Albert regard it as some sort of Satanic ritual? DuFresne is so convincing and sweet as the determined Ludovic that you'll root for him all the way. The picture-perfect Parisian suburb takes quite a hit, though. Are newcomers only entitled to a serene life in attractive surroundings if they accept what the existing community perceives as natural and healthy? Berliner asks this question and others with gentle humor. Ma Vie en Rose is a charmer from start to finish, and young DuFresne is a real find. AKA: My Life in Pink.

1997 (R) 90m/C BE FR GB Georges DuFresne, Jean-Philippe Ecoffey, Michele Laroque, Daniel Hanssens, Julien Riviere, Helene Vincent, Laurence Bibot, Jean-Francois Galotte, Caroline Baehr, Marie Bunuel; D: Alain Berliner; W: Alain Berliner, Chris Vander Stappen; C: Yves Cape; M: Dominique Dalcan. Golden Globe Awards ‘98: Best Foreign Film; Nominations: British Academy Awards ‘97: Best Foreign Film. VHS