Film Review: Cuties (Migonnes)

Someone at Netflix screwed up big time. The fiasco surrounding the marketing of writer-director Maïmouna Doucouré's Cuties did not need to happen. The film received a theatrical release in France last month to no controversy whatsoever. If the screw up came from inside Netflix, whoever made it should be fired. If it came from an outside firm, they should be named, shamed and never hired again. This controversy was that bad.

The controversy might've convinced a few to see the film out of curiosity, but they're probably outnumbered by those looking for a cause célèbre to cancel Netflix. It's a shame because Doucouré's feature directorial debut marks her as a director with an empathy for her characters few rookies match.

Cuties centers on Amy (Fathia Youssouf), an 11-year-old Senegalese Muslim who falls in with a dance troupe called the Cuties. The Cuties initially bully Amy and it's here where viewers see the empathy Doucouré has in spades. The film is based on her experiences as a child; Amy's desire to fit in with these girls feels real, especially to anyone who was bullied as a child.

Amy's in to the Cuties is Angelica (Médina El Aidi-Azouni), a girl who lives in the same apartment complex as her. Their relationship as friends feels believable, even as the tension between their desires to fit in and Amy's Muslim beliefs drives them to conflict.

The Cuties act much older than they are, but deep down, they're still children. Their dance moves and costumes *are* deliberately sexy, but none of them understand any of it. When one finds a discarded condom, she blows up and pretends it's a breast implant. Far from encouraging the over-sexualization of young children, Doucouré's film is an explicit screed against it.

The tension between all of those elements is Cuties' driving force. Yann Maritaud's cinematography and the film's set design make the viewers feel as claustrophobic as Amy in her family life and newfound friendships. Amy's family apartment is small and constricting, with two people barely fitting into a hallway. Angelica barging in and slipping off her shoes in Amy's father's massive bedroom is both an act of defiance and a welcome relief. Yet the cinematography continually contributes to a feeling that something is always off; no matter how hard she tries, Amy will never truly fit into the Cuties.

Cuties is a solid debut from a filmmaker with a distinct voice and style. Forget what you've heard: Cuties is worth seeking out.

Final score: 7/10