Slick Flicks: Girls becoming boys
Female characters becoming or pretending to be guys is not a rare theme in movies. Some are heavy drama films (Boys Don’t Cry), some are chick flicks (She’s the Man), and some are even animated (Mulan). And over the weekend, I saw two more of those.
Tomboy (2011)
Tomboy is a French film about a 10-year old kid named Laure who introduces himself as Mikael when her family moves in to a new town. Laure is literally “one of the boys”. She plays with boys and they think she is one as well. She has a 6-year old sister named Jenne, and she falls for a girl named Lisa.
This movie is pretty short but it definitely packs a punch. What I love about this film is how sweet and innocent it is. 10-year-olds don’t have to deal with the pressure of having to conform with what society dictates as right and wrong. She acts depending on how she feels and how she wants. At this age, she does not need to worry about being labeled as a lesbian or bisexual.
The film is amazingly brave and realistic. It has neither a unique story, nor an interesting twist. What it has is a tender plot and touching characters. I love how this movie is open-minded and open-ended.
Score: 9/10. Watch it.
Albert Nobbs (2011)
This movie is about Albert Nobbs, a waiter in a hotel, who pretends to be a man. She falls in love with a girl named Helen, who is in love with a young man named Joe.
This movie mainly focuses on Albert’s struggles as she goes on about her life pretending to be someone she is not. I appreciate the visual appeal of this movie. If I were to base it solely on that, I would give this movie a 9/10. Unfortunately, the visuals is not the most important aspect of the movie. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice movie, well-made, and Glenn Close deserves an Oscar for this. But the story was a bit predictable, a little bit depressing, and a tad messy.
The secondary characters had such strong storylines that sometimes, it takes the light away from Albert Nobbs. The audience is being given a bit too much story. There is a little too much going on in the background. Not to mention, it becomes dragging at times.
All in all, I think the film is worth watching. This film certainly made me appreciate being born in the 20th century. I can’t imagine how hard it is to pretend to be a man all my life (although I want to try to become a guy for a day!).
Score: 7/10. Watch it if you have two hours to spare.
