[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=JvfdCI4MArQ[/youtube]
We’re still a few weeks away from the limited release of
Glenn Close’s
“Albert Nobbs,” in which Close plays a woman in 19th-century Ireland who masquerades as a man for over thirty years. But if you’re hankering to see a film that handles cross-gender issues with exquisite sensitivity and charm, don’t let
“Tomboy” slip under your radar.
The second feature of French director and screenwriter
Céline Sciamma (
“Water Lilies”), “Tomboy” tells the story of 10-year-old
Laure (
Zoé Heran in a knockout performance). Having moved to a new neighborhood during the summer, Laure, with her short hair and masculine clothes, is mistaken for a boy by the kids she meets on her block. She takes this as an opportunity to introduce herself as
“Mikael” and begins a series of deceptions that she knows can’t last forever. For one thing, the school year is approaching, and her new friends have already noticed that Mikael’s name doesn't appear on the class roster.
Sciamma has an uncanny ability to direct children in ways that seem effortless and real. Her young cast is superb, from Laure’s little sister,
Jeanne (
Malonn Lévana), who goes along with the deception, to the feisty
Lisa (
Jeanne Disson), who develops a huge crush on Mikael. As the parents,
Mathieu Demy and
Sophie Cattani are sympathetic and understanding, but also fearful and upset when they learn what their daughter is up to.
Childhood can be such a minefield—wouldn’t we all want to create a new identity if we had the chance? True, not everyone would choose to adopt a different gender, but “Tomboy” explores broader issues of friendship, self-discovery, and acceptance. “Childhood is often referred to as the age of innocence,” Sciamma says, “but I think it’s a time of life full of sensuality and ambiguous emotions. I wanted to portray that.”
Of course Laure/Mikael lives in fear of being found out, but what happens when her ruse is finally exposed is just as touching as the rest of the film. What of Laure’s future? Will she ultimately identify as transgendered? What about her sexuality? Those questions are appropriately left unanswered in this riveting meditation on the complexities of childhood.
