Ma Vie en Rose

So you've hit upon a sure-fire subject for a movie, one that's both unique and provocative: a little boy who wants to be a little girl. Now, how best to approach it? You could make a serious, emotionally grueling drama, in which the unfortunate child encounters hostility and misunderstanding both at school and at home; or, alternatively, you could make a pastel-colored, giddy fantasy, in which the lovable nonconformist lives happily in a solipsistic bubble that only vaguely resembles the real world. Ma Vie en Rose (My Life in Pink), the first feature directed by Belgian director Alain Berliner, does both, incredibly enough, and the juxtaposition of tones works more often than not--perhaps because the fantasy world is an invention provoked by the cruelties of the real one. The film expertly thwarts expectations; for example, young Ludovic's father is initially outraged, while his mother is sympathetic, but the pair gradually swap tolerance levels as the picture progresses, in a completely believable and psychologically defensible way. As Ludovic, Georges DuFresne gives a performance nearly as courageous as Heather Matarazzo's in 1996's Welcome to the Dollhouse; both, predictably, were ignored by the folks who give out acting awards. Recommended. (M. D'Angelo)