Ponette

If you're in the mood for some phenomenal acting, this is the movie for you, as it boasts one of the finest ensemble casts in recent memory. In one sense, this is unremarkable, since French imports, whatever their other faults, almost invariably feature terrific performances; in another sense, however, it's quite extraordinary, since the average age of the film's principal cast is perhaps, oh, five. Four-year-old Victoire Thivisol, who won the Best Actress award at Venice last year for her work in this film, has received the lion's share of the attention--and understandably so, since Ponette is about how she copes with the sudden death of her mother in an automobile accident. But director Jacques Doillon coaxes stunningly naturalistic performances from all of the kids, and his script (reportedly fashioned largely from overheard conversations among children) depicts the agonies and ecstasies of toddlerhood--emphasis on the former--with a clarity and an absence of sentimentality not seen since...well, Truffaut (and before that, Clement's Forbidden Games). Recommended. (M D'Angelo)