My Life in Pink (Ma Vie En Rose)

Director(s): Alain Berliner
Writer(s): Alain Berliner
Producer(s): Chris Vander Stappen
Starring: Georges Du Fresne, Michele Laroque, Jean-Philippe Ecoffey

Ludovic is a seven-year-old who is dead certain that he was born in the wrong body. While the rest of the boys are rough housing on the soccer field, he would rather play dress up and pretend marriage with the boy across the street. What complicates the matter is that the boy across the street is the son of Ludovic's boss and the neighborhood doesn't take kindly to transgendered children. Seen through the eyes of the colorful imagination of a 2nd grader, "Ma Vie En Rose" follows the trials and tribulations of one family as the youngest child comes to terms with himself in a society not ready for change.

Every so often I break away from the gay genre of film and dabble in the cinema of the transgendered. And what I find time and time again is that those in Trans films are excellent actors. Whether you are a woman playing a man, a woman playing a man who wants to be a woman, a man playing a woman, or a man playing a woman who wants to be a man, actors in Trans films have a higher level of scrutiny from critics. Thus, their performances seem to be flawless. Now imagine if your trans character was the age of your little niece or nephew. That child will now and forever be an actor that I admire. I have long said that I admire any straight males that play gay without the use of stereotypes or cultural cliches. I will now say that I admire any actor who is not trans that plays trans (pre-op or post-op), because it is these actors that embrace the character, the form, and the art of acting.

I love how this film focuses on the family's struggle with helping Ludovic find his true identity. It touches upon all the major issues that any family worries about and it has a nice mix of those who support and don't support Ludovic's choices in life. The fantasy element is something that any child can relate to. While Ludo dreamt of living in the world of Pam and Ben (The French Barbie and Ken), I dreamed of living in the world of Saved By the Bell (and yes i was dating Zack in this fantasy). Children have this extra ability to make any little thing into some magical event. Berliner captures this child-like imagination perfectly, drawing viewers of all ages back to the days when they had imaginary friends from the shows and toys they enjoyed in their youth. All in all, an excellent film worth not only the 88 minutes it took to watch this film, but also worth the hours of conversation this film could provide.