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GreenCine Movie Talk
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Ponette
	Topic by: larbeck Posted: December 20, 2003 - 4:49 AM PST Last Reply: December 21, 2003 - 8:56 AM PST

author	topic: Ponette
larbeck	post #1  on December 20, 2003 - 4:49 AM PST   Ponette is the tale of a four year girl who loses her mother, told from her POV, the young actor, Victoire Thivisol, and the director, Jacques Doillon got praise from all over their conviencing work. But as I said in my review, it seems TOO GOOD. Can a four year girl REALLY act this good? The worst scene is after her mother is dead, her father is taking her to live with relatives and Ponette mourns and cries and her father can't stand it. He stops the car and yells and screams at Ponette and Ponette reacts with more tears. This is the scene where I had to walk and leave. I feel that I was watched real emotional child abuse. I wanted the director and the actor arrested. I still cannot accept that a four old child can "play" that scene as a character - that instead she was giving real emotion to real abuse and I'm sorry - it is one of the SICKEST things in film. I reget giving this film an 8. I was sucuumbing to peer pressure, I think - I see it with friend and they like and think I am just too emotional. I feel so alone in this. Can a four year really "play" a scene like this and not experience some trauma?
dpowers	post #2  on December 20, 2003 - 7:57 AM PST   it might be worth watching the film again and notice all the scene cuts and one-person shots. what the audience thinks is happening is distinctly not what was being done on set. it's been a couple of years since i saw it but my impression was that there is no single scene in the movie when she is on screen at the same time another actor is yelling at her.
larbeck	post #3  on December 20, 2003 - 7:40 PM PST   oh, I am sorry, I should have put this at the top ***THEMONUCLEAR SPOILERS*** dpower, you have a very good point that I did not consider BUT it still begs the question - what did they do to Victoire Thivisol to get her to cry like that? And I will pass on seeing it again - maybe after I see all of the anime in the world and get all of the the Marx Brothers movie memorized first. I eventually did go back to the theater and see the end - it was sweet. But I hated what it took to get there.
dpowers	post #4  on December 21, 2003 - 8:56 AM PST   SPOILERS: i found a couple of things. they talked to thousands of nursery-school infants looking for their cast and for the flow of the story. the only thing i found about how she came to cry in the scenes, besides "at certain times, she was moved enough by how she was feeling that she would cry," was an english review website. "Four year old Thivisol puts in a magnificent performance which won her the best actress prize at the Venice Film Festival that year. Somewhat of a method actress she apparently insisted that Doillon scolded her whenever she was required to cry. Whether you believe that story or not it is still a stunning performance as indeed are those given by her young co-stars." i have no trouble believing that. the people i know who are that old are just like that.