By Alyce Wilson
(Standard-Journal,
July 16, 1998)

Couch Potato Review

At times surreal and at times moving, Ma Vie En Rose (My Life in Pink) is a film about finding yourself. Unfortunately, if you're a 7-year-old boy who enjoys wearing girl's clothes, discovering yourself is a dangerous prospect.

Ludo, short for Ludovic, makes his first appearance in the film at a housewarming party, dressed in a red princess dress. His family, which has just moved to a middle-class suburban neighborhood and are greeting many neighbors for the first time, are shocked. They pass his outfit off as a joke and take him inside to comb out his hair and wipe off the lipstick.

"Why did you do it?" his mother wants to know.

"I wanted to be beautiful," he replies.

Alas, for Ludo, boys are not allowed to be beautiful or to like other boys. When Ludo starts talking about marrying one of his playmates, his father slips into hysterical anger.

But his parents do try to understand. As they attempt reasoning with him, and testing out different methods of "treatment," you find yourself wondering what you would do.

How could you handle a child, like Ludo, who not only insists that one day he will be a girl, but who seems incapable of meeting society's expectations of a boy?

With his androgynous haircut and graceful moves, Ludo certainly seems like the opposite of his rough-and-tumble brothers. Who could blame him for being so certain of his girl-ness? And yet, in a society that does not allow him to be the "girl" he wants to be, Ludo escapes into fantasy.

In scenes that blend a dreamy surrealism with heartbreaking emotion, Ludo escapes to visit Pam, a television star reminiscent of a female Peter Pan. She flies, she blows magic dust, she's glamorous.

But the real world always creeps back in, a world that will not accept Ludo. Except for an understanding grandmother, Ludo's delicate face is again and again marred by surprised pain. He can not understand why nobody will hear what he's telling them about who he is.

Anyone who has ever suffered from the blows or comments of schoolmates can identify with Ludo. Children pick on individuals for the traits that make them different. And yet, those traits are often an indelible part of the child's identity, something they could not change if they tried.

Although this is a French film, the characters could easily be American. Or from virtually anywhere. Nobody in this movie is a caricature. Even Pam has an other-wordliness that subdues a role which could easily have turned into high camp. Even the older siblings, who play a relatively minor role, get a chance to be human.

And kudos go to Ludo, who is so convincing that you wonder if this boy will indeed be the next Ru-Paul.

I give this movie five potatoes for a sensitive yet engaging portrayal of a delicate subject.

Copyright 1998 by Alyce Wilson

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