Ma Vie en Rose (My Life in Pink)

Released 1997
Stars Georges Du Fresne, Michele Laroque, Jean-Philippe Ecoffey, Helene Vincent, Daniel Hanssens, Laurence Bibot, Jean-Francois Gallotte, Caroline Baehr, Julien Riviere, Marie Bunel
Directed by Alain Berliner

Tomboys are a common phenomenon. There is no social stigma attached to a young girl who dresses like a boy, plays rough, wears Band-Aids on her skinned knees like badges of honor, and prefers trading baseball cards to jumping rope. It's regarded as "just part of growing up." Reverse the situation, however. The result -- a boy who adopts the traits of a girl -- is unacceptable. Such a child, who plays with dolls, puts on makeup, and wears dresses, is likely to become a pariah. And that is the situation explored by Alain Berliner's debut feature, Ma Vie en Rose.

Pierre (Jean-Philippe Ecoffey) and Hanna (Michele Laroque), along with their four children, have just moved into a nice house in a suburban Paris neighborhood. Three of the kids are normal and well-adjusted, but the fourth, Ludovic (Georges Du Fresne), a seven year old boy, is showing "alarming" tendencies. His favorite toys are Barbie-like dolls, he expresses a desire to marry a male classmate when he "grows up and becomes a girl," and he shows up at a party dressed like a pink princess. His mother, convinced that this is a harmless phase, tries to be as supportive as possible, but, when pressure from unsympathetic and close-minded neighbors mounts, she begins to turn on Ludovic. Meanwhile, Pierre doesn't know how best to cope with his son's tendencies, and Ludovic's sometimes-embarrassing displays of femininity threaten to derail his career.

One of Berliner's successes is his ability to effectively realize multiple viewpoints. While Ma Vie en Rose gets into Ludovic's head and convincingly presents his confusion regarding the adults' negative reactions to his behavior, it also conveys the sense of near-panic that grips his parents. They love their son, but don't know how to (or whether they should) break him of his feminine obsession. The resulting stress tears at the fabric of their marriage, and their disapproval threatens to destroy Ludovic. When all is said and done, Ma Vie en Rose is more of a fantasy than a straight drama, and Berliner's lighthearted touch keeps the film buoyant when it could easily turn grim.

Summary by James Berardinelli