BSH NEWS Petite Maman Movie Review: Céline Sciamma Continues Her Poetic Journey Post Portrait Of A Lady On Fire

Céline
Sciamma’s
2021
film

Petite
Maman
(translated
to

Little
Mum)
was
released
on
MUBI
on
February
18,
2022,
and
can
be
watched
worldwide
on
streaming
now.
With
this
film,
the
highly
artistic
writer-director
has
to
her
credit
another
gem
after
her
last
feature
film

Portrait
of
a
Lady
on
Fire
(2019)
–
a
beautiful
piece
of
cinema
that
propelled
her
to
fame
around
the
world.

Petite
Maman
is
just
over
an
hour
long
(72
minutes)
and
without
any
elaborate
storytelling
techniques.
It
touches
the
heart
with
its
simplicity
and
innocence,
just
like
the
children
shown
in
the
film.

BSH NEWS
Story

Petite
Maman
tells
the
story
of
an
eight-year-old
girl
Nelly
(Josephine
Sanz),
trying
to
come
to
terms
with
the
death
of
her
grandmother,
while
living
in
her
grandma’s
home
with
her
mother
Marion
(Nina
Meurisse)
and
father
(Stéphane
Varupenne).
Her
friendship
with
a
girl
her
age,
whom
she
has
met
in
the
woods,
lets
her
explore
her
emotions,
as
she
also
tries
to
figure
out
her
relationship
with
her
mother
and
father.

In
telling
this
tale
of
loss
that
each
of
us
has
gone
through,
the
film
also
showcases
other
aspects
of
a
seemingly
normal
family
life
that
may
resonate.
The
relationship
of
child
and
mother
is
at
the
centre
of

Petite
Maman,
whether
it
is
that
of
Nelly
with
her
mother
or
that
of
Marion
(Gabrielle
Sanz)
with
her
mother
(Margo
Abascal).

BSH NEWS
No
Frills
Treatment

Petite
Maman
is
from
a
child’s
point-of-view,
her
imagination.
And
that’s
that.
The
film
has
not
been
treated
like
a
mystery
or
supernatural
or
sci-fi
story.
It
is
just
how
we
imagine
things
while
we
cope
with
grief
and
loss
and
our
problems.
Sometimes
we
are
able
to
cope,
sometimes
not.
And
sometimes
we
gain
or
discover
something
out
of
the
longing.

The
film
also
shows
children
and
adults
how
they
are
in
real
life,
in
the
most
natural
surroundings
and
not
sugary
sweet
or
cry
babies
/
having
too
many
issues.
No
unncessary
drama.
Just
dealing
with
situations.

The
depiction
of
girl
children
is
also
not
stereotypical
in
that
they
don’t
wear
frocks
or
don’t
play
with
dolls
(except
in
a
play
they
are
enacting).
They
play
paddle
ball,
and
have
a
treehouse
in
the
woods
and
can
deal
with
things
on
their
own.

Performances

Celine
Sciamma
deftly
brings
out
the
most
natural
performances
from
the
twin
child
actors
as
well
as
the
senior
actors.

BSH NEWS
Technical
Aspects

Cinematography

The
artistic
visuals
of

Portrait
of
a
Lady
on
Fire
were
created
by
cinematographer
Claire
Mathon,
who
returns
to
helm
the
visuals
of

Petite
Maman.
She
also
recently
worked
on
Kristen
Stewart’s

Spencer.
In

Petite
Maman,
she
conveys
the
mood
of
the
film
with
each
frame,
and
also
the
child’s
POV,
quite
literally.

Music

Like
in

Portrait
of
a
Lady
on
Fire‘s
bonfire
scene,
there
is
a
song
towards
the
end
of

Petite
Maman
placed
where
the
high
of
emotions
has
to
be
conveyed.
Like
a
crescendo,
and
without
much
sound
or
music
in
the
rest
of
the
film.
It
works
like
a
trademark
for
Sciamma
and
her
regular
music
composer
Jean-Baptiste
de
Laubier,
who
is,
in
fact,
the
composer
for

Portrait
of
a
Lady
on
Fire,
and
the
director’s
earlier
films,

Water
Lilies
and

Girlhood.

Editing

Also
having
worked
on
all
these
films
of
Sciamma
is
editor
Julien
Lacheray,
who
seems
to
truly
understand
her
language
of
cinema
and
it
works
in
unpredictable
fare
like

Petite
Maman.

That’s
three
major
frequent
collaborators
there
for
Sciamma,
who
has
become
a
powerhouse
director
of
World
Cinema.

BSH NEWS
Verdict

Once
a
director
has
established
their
artistic
credibility
and
signature,
you
expect
that
from
them
every
time.
French
auteur
Celine
Sciamma
surely
delivers
each
time
and
is
one
of
the
most
important
filmmakers
of
our
time
–
irrespective
of
her
being
a
‘woman
director’.
Her
work
is
worth
watching
just
for
how
she
deals
with
the
subject
and
treats
the
film
in
its
entirety.
Another
hallmark
of
a
great
film
director.

Petite
Maman
is
a
good
watch
for
the
weekend.

BSH NEWS
Rating

We
will
go
with
three
out
of
five
(3/5)
stars
for

Petite
Maman.