4/5
Stars
Rachel, a shy 9-year-old-girl, befriends
the over-enthusiastic Valerie from her class. Both of their families bear the
brunt, at least initially, of their over-zealousness.
The wondrous screenplay, sparkling
subtitling (and presumably dialogue as well) and the mind-blowing performances
by the cast, make ‘The Dandelions’ a must, must watch. Director Carine Tardieu
makes a memorable film that should be watched and cherished. The Dandelions was
screened at the 14th Mumbai Film Festival as a part of the 'Rendezvous With
French Cinema' category.
Rachel (Juliette Gombert) and Valerie (Anna
Lemarchand) instantly hit it off during their first meeting. Rachel, initially
a shy and a reserved girl, gets introduced to a new world (that of grownups) by
Valerie. Together, they spy on their teacher, discuss her sexual exploits, use
cuss words, share almost everything under the sun, and feel free to shed their
inhibitions. However, Rachel has her own problems at home whereas Valerie is
diagnosed with a deadly disease. Rachel's mother Colette Gladstein (Agnes
Jaoui) suspects her husband Michel Gladstein (Denis Podalydes) of having an
affair with Valerie's mother Catherine (Isabelle Carre). This situation brings
along its own pathos-filled humour. The film tackles various issues concerning
adults through the perspective of the two girls. Humour is one of the mainstays
of this film with rib-tickling dialogues and sequences. Most of them, however,
are filled with sexual innuendo. Still, most of you will end up finding them
funny.
Superb cinematography by Antoine Monod,
along with masterful editing, plays a great role in making ‘The Dandelions’ the
masterpiece that it is. Every member of the cast is absolutely fantastic. The
little girls are delightful. Even the actors playing the 'elder' roles are
equally 'childlike', given the light nature of the film.
This film will make you laugh, smile, cry
and reflect a bit. A joyous experience!
Shivom
Oza
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