Customer Reviews

Ma Vie En Rose (My Life in Pink) [VHS]

5 star:		(89)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

More than a bold statement about how people generally treat those who are different, this film is primarily a wonderfully sweet story. This film works so well because of its many levels: Ludovic's charm and the daydreams he uses to escape (you can't help but love him and feel for him), his parents' concern and anger (sometimes irrational but often justified), and the neighborhood's consternation at what appears to be something completely out of whack with their suburban "normalcy" and blandness. The interesting part of this film was that, despite the general belief that children can often be most cruel to each other, it was the adults who misbehaved and caused all the problems. Definitely a first-rate story with a great blend of comedy, drama, and tears.

As far as the technical aspects of the movie are concerned, they're also first-rate. The widescreen format is exactly what this movie needs (I simply couldn't imagine it in fullscreen format). The colors are bold and bright, and the sound is well-balanced. The subtitles are available in English (with some incomplete translation at times, and a few unnecessary vulgarities), French (with a word-for-word translation), and Spanish.

Like others here, I cannot comprehend the "R" rating. There's no sex and there's no violence. I've seen "G"-rated Disney movies with more questionable material than this! The f-word is present, but only because of the translators' choice of syntax: it wasn't necessary and certainly wasn't in the French script. In fact, with a proper translation, this movie could have been released with a "PG" rating. As such, I personally believe this movie should be seen by high school students as part of a curriculum on tolerance. Heck, the English subtitles even use the word "bent" instead of the more common slang word for homosexual...so if they could be polite with that word, they certainly didn't need to use the other vulgarities. (For those who don't speak French, here's a clarification about a certain aspect of the dialog which, admittedly, is difficult to translate. The French word "tapette" has two meanings: it's a slang word meaning homosexual, and it also means fly-swatter. What meaning it takes is obviously dependent on the overall context of the conversation. I hope this clarifies the scene in which Ludo's dad takes out the fly-swatter to explain what "bent" means).

On a final note, there IS an available soundtrack to his film. You can get it on Amazon's French site at www.amazon.fr for around twenty dollars --at the time of this writing, anyway. Even if you don't know French, the site is set up exactly like the American website, so it's easy to navigate (and the icons are the same...a shopping cart in France looks like a shopping cart in America).

The most obvious way to read MA VIE EN ROSE is as the tale of difficulties faces by a very young boy who is very likely transgendered--but given the multilayered nature of the film this is actually a rather narrow point of view. It would be more accurate to describe the film as a rather sly assault on a cookie-cutter society that reacts with a herd mentality toward anything in the least unusual. And Ludovic Fabre is a most unusual child: barely into school, he has become convinced that he is really a girl, and in his childhood innocence he sees absolutely nothing socially amiss with the idea.

The film begins with a party at which neighbors gather to welcome the newly arrived Fabre family--only to be, along with the family, extremely disconcerted when Ludovic makes an entrance in meticulously applied make-up and a pink dress. His family passes the incident off as a joke, but Ludovic proves remarkably single-minded, and when he draws a neighborhood child into his fantasies he also incurs neighborhood hysteria. The result is at once comic and unpleasantly vicious as his classmates, his neighbors, and eventually his family gradually turn upon him.

Although there are one or two problems with character development in the script, the cast--particularly Georges du Fresne as Ludovic and Helene Vincent as free-spirit grandmother Elizabeth--is superlative, and director Alain Berliner balances the serio-comic story with a very light touch. Viewers will laugh a little, cry a little, and ultimately come away from the film feeling an uncertain hope. The fact that this film is rated "R" is merely so much more evidence of the power of the herd to dictate standards of normalicy--one or two profanities aside, there is absolutely nothing in the film to offend any intelligent viewer, and the film will hold a special appeal for older children who have been targeted as in any way different by their peers... and for the many adults who remember what it was like to be a victim of a society that prizes conformity over imagination, creativity, honesty, integrity, and self-awareness. Strongly recommended.

Since gay and lesbian themes are sort of OK in Hollywood as long as it conforms with the market stereotypes, it is aggravating to see this Franco-Belgian coproduction being rated "R" (just get rid of the whole rating crap, will you). Transsexual feelings in kids! Oh my God, that's the perverse of all perversia, plus it's foreign, and spoken in French, must be corruptingly erotic and evil... R. Next. Hereby I wish to call out to all parents to not only talk about sexuality with your kids, but to give NO heed to this rating, and even view this movie together! By banning this film from a large part of the teenage population, ignorance and thus prejudice about sexual orientation and indeed about respect for difference are strengthened. This movie is not only bittersweet, it is, judged from previous comments, a colorful "child's view" of the narrow-minded adult world and its lack of fantasy. To Leonard Maltin: this story is not set in a suburb in Belgium, but Paris (in France!).

What do you call a girl who would rather play sports than color? What about a girl who prefers shorts to dresses? Some might answer "normal" while others will answer "a tomboy." Nevertheless, tomboys are a common phenomenom who are fortunate enough to have no social stigmas attached to them. Find a boy who prefers to dance and wear dresses, however, and you are dealing with a sick child with homosexual tendencies. The double standard is both apparent and completely unfair. Ma Vie En Rose examines the role of sexual stereotypes in today's culture while showing how certain elements in society encourage conformity and inhibit diversity.

Seven year-old Ludovic is a boy who wants to be a girl. He likes to wear dresses and talks of marrying another young boy by the name of Jerome. Ludovic's family, who have recently moved into a new neighborhood, are embarassed by Ludovic's actions and struggle to suppress his transexual yearnings. Though Ludovic's actions are surprising to viewers, it is still more interesting to examine the panopticon his family is part of. Ludovic's father, Pierre, does not know how to best cope with his son's tendencies. Ludovic's sometimes embarassing displays of femininity threaten to derail his father's career, as Jerome happens to be Pierre's employers son (yikes!).

Those who assume that Ludovic is gay have missed the point of this film entirely. Sexuality isn't even an issue, especially at Ludovic's age. Ma Vie En Rose isn't concerned with Ludovic's eventual sexual orientation. The film is careful to keep its focus within childhood. Ludovic likes to wear dresses and makeup. He associates these things as the traits of women, and for this reason, feels he needs to marry Jerome. In an idealistic world, Ludovic would be able to enjoy these things without giving up on his masculinity. In the real world, however, Ludovic must unconsciously choose sides. He chooses the "feminine" because the restrictions of socialization give him no other option. This film is a bright (so bright in its use of color, it would make Barbie sick) and intelligent film which instead of asking why, asks why not?

One need not be gay or lesbian to enjoy this film. Ludo is a courageous little boy who does not seem to notice the uproar he is causing. The touching thing is how his parents eventually come to accept him. The sad part is how much Ludo and his family have to suffer to reach that point. I have a daughter about Ludo's age in the film, and I saw Ludo much like I see my daughter: as a senstive little child with a wonderful imagination.

I have never seen a more beautiful and innocent movie. Everything is realistically displayed through the eyes of a 7 year old boy, Ludovic. He believes himself to be a "girlboy" because god accidentally dropped his X chromosome into the trash which ultimately turned Ludovic into a boy. The movie is heartwrenching, but remains completely innocent. The whole atmosphere is innocense. I cried so hard while watching the movie. As the film progresses, Ludovic becomes less himself, choosing things based on other people's judgements than his own. He begins to become more timid, introverted, and tortured. His spirit is killed by everyone around him, especially his mother who supported him in the beginning. His mom cuts his hair; an asset that made him feel more feminine, making him vulnerable. The most painful scene to watch was when Ludovic went down the stairs to go outside due to the havoc his sister and brothers were causing. His mother sneered at him and asked "Where are you going?" ludovic answers that he is going outside to take a walk because his siblings are too noisy. His mother glares at him and says without any heart "It's not our fault we had to move" referring to the fact that Ludovic's "girlboy" tendencies made the neighborhood turn on the family. Ludovic stares at his mother for a second, then nods gently and leaves. His sadness really resonates. Ludovic is all alone, and no one cares. His brothers allow him to be beat up in his presence by the soccer team. His mother continually bashes him verbally saying that he ruined everyone's lives, and that everything negative was his fault. it's disgusting what society can do to such an innocent, loving boy. But it's real, and that's what is sick about the world.

i recommend this movie to everyone. you'll love it. this is the environment we let people survive in. it's disgusting how much negativity is pushed upon the fragile shoulders of little 7 year old Ludovic.

One of the best movies I have seen!!! The subject itself forces you to look at your own limitations on anything that is out of your 'normal' boundaries. After watching this movie, you have a better insight on how limited most of us are and how this causes a lot more harm than we think it does.
In terms of film quality, it is also one of the best I have seen. The actors are tremendous, the characters are so accurately portrayed that you actually feel the pain of each one of them. Of course, Ludovic's innocence is rendered beautifully, but the changes that the mother goes through are very emotionally charged (maybe because I am a mother myself???). She seems at first to be the most understanding of all when it comes to her son's differences, then goes through a confusion stage, and then tries really hard to understand him. But when her family's whole life setting (house, husband's job, social life) goes havoc, she closes down emotionally on her own son which is extremely painful to watch. After one final emotionally violent confrontation with Ludovic, she realizes that she's loosing him and finally sees him the way it should be: her beautiful child, nothing more, nothing less.
It is also filmed in a very colorful manner (especially during Ludovic's escapes into dreamland), which accentuate the notion of Ludovic's innocence. The neighborhood setting seems to be a bit of a caricature of American suburbia (green front lawns, barbecue parties) with an European flavor (adults dancing at neighborhood parties). In any case, the movie seems to make a clear statement that intolerance seems to be most prominent in middle-class white surburban populations, which many could find this to be a bit of a stereotype.
In any case, I highly recommend this movie to anyone who wants something more out of movie than what is presented in mainstream movies.

So there's this boy who is 7, though he looks a bit older. He thinks he's a boy who will grow up to be a girl, and who will marry a boy. He also likes to wear dresses. So he lives his life as if nothing is wrong. And even though his parents tolerate their son wearing dresses, having long hair and behaving as if he was a girl, the neighbors begin to lose their patience, especially after one peculiar incident... The movie is tastefully made with a good music and song in the background. Whoever chose this boy as a main character should be praised. The boy acts with grace. He portrays a character to be as any child would, yet through his smile and way of being, one can see a touch of "gayness" and being different. By the way, I am unclear why this movie is rated "R". Perhaps for bigotry and hostility of adults to little kids who struggle with their sexual identity. This is one of those movies that you want to watch over and over and over again. So don't rent it, buy it. This movie is a fine example of a beautiful French and altogether European culture. One can appreciate beauty of humanity in almost every interaction and conversation.

Innocent 7-year-old Ludovic wants to be a girl, and his desire is greeted by hate and misunderstanding from everyone but his grandmother, who wants to be a teenager. His parents just want them both to grow up. I didn't want this sweet story to end. The vibrant music, the bright colors and skillful acting combine into a magical fantasy that clashes with the bitter reality of life.

I have only recently begun to enjoy foreign films with subtitles because I simply can not stand dubbed films. To me, a dubbed film losses all the emotion and talent of the actors, and so, I've learned to read and watch at the same time and cannot believe what I've been missing. First, let me suggest to anyone who watches this or any film in a language foreign to you to learn to master subtitles and secondly, I suggest that you not miss this beautiful, beautiful story. This movie literally stunned me with it's candid exploration of such a rare and completely splendid young child. The entire time I watched this film my empathy bounced like a ball to both the protagonist (Ludovic) and the antagonists (the neighbors). This movie is a rarity in that it opens your mind with a can opener and shows you just how you think and act. The beautiful child Ludovic know who he/she is and what he/she wants, which is to grow up to be a girl and live a beautiful pink life. It's the rest of the world that's confused. The freezer scene is to me the cincher in that is shows what Ludovic thinks the world wants him to do, since he cannot be anyone but himself, the only answer is to stop being anyone at all. What a sad and true message this movieteaches about the difficulty we have with tolorance. I think that this movie should be shown in grade schools to children to show them why they should be kind to each other and so that children who are treated intolorably can see how difficult tolorance is to master.