Mix-Up

A tale of two infants switched at birth, Françoise Romand's innovative 1986 documentary Mix-Up is presented in a coy, slightly goofy visual style, which reflects the charming eccentricity of its British subjects. Margaret Wheeler, birth mother of Peggy and foster mother of Valerie, began to suspect early on that the two girls were accidentally swapped in the hospital in 1936 and pursued the issue, much to the distress of Blanche Rylatt, the natural mother of Valerie and foster mother to Peggy. Margaret explains how she contacted scientists and others to help confirm her suspicions—she happily shows viewers a box of letters she received, and twice enthuses over her correspondence with George Bernard Shaw concerning the case. In addition, Peggy and Valerie—along with their various siblings—offer their observations, as does Charles, Margaret's somewhat spacey husband. The picture uses odd framing, playful recreations, and loopy music to fashion a narrative that swerves, jumps, and turns in on itself, mimicking the actual events. But despite the light touch, Romand's approach never demeans the characters—instead, Mix-Up combines poignancy with verbal and visual humor to create a documentary that touches both the heart and the funnybone. DVD extras include interviews with Romand and critic Jonathan Rosenbaum. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)