Like most of us, I became aware of Cuties (French: Mignonnes) because of Netflix’s infamous promotion that made it look like some sort of paedophilia film. I was utterly disgusted and almost on the point of cancelling my subscription but then Film Twitter exploded, saying the poster and plot did not represent the film one bit. Netflix soon apologised, changed poster and plot, and I, having read positive reviews, decided to give the film a chance. And you should too, despite the backlash it’s still getting on Twitter, Maïmouna Doucouré’s debut feature is a great coming-of-age that makes social commentary against the sexualisation and exploitation of young children.
The daughter of two Senegalese immigrants, Amy (Fathia Youssouf) is an 11-year-old who lives in a Parisian apartment with her conservative mother (Maïmouna Gueye), her old strict auntie (Mbissine Thérèse Diop), and her two younger siblings, and is waiting for her father to come back from Senegal.
She soon discovers that her father is coming back but with a second, younger wife, a piece of news that she doesn't take particularly well — nor does her mother. And it doesn't help either than her auntie decides to use the upcoming Senegalese wedding to train Amy into becoming a traditional Senegalese woman.
It's around this time that she first notices Angelica (Médina El Aidi-Azouni), another 11-year-old daughter of immigrants who lives in the same building as hers, and she is immediately captivated by the suggestive way she dresses and dances. On her first day at her new school, she learns that Angelica is the leader of the Mignonnes — or Cuties —, a quartet of popular girls who have their own dance group and are practising moves for an upcoming dance competition. The Mignonnes are instantly more appealing to Amy than the conservative and religious life planned for her by her family, and, as soon as there's an opening, she's more than happy to step in.
Unlike what the internet trolls want you to believe, there's nothing salacious about the story Doucouré decided to bring on the screen nor the way the director decided to tell it. Cuties tells the awkward and painful journey of a young girl trying to find her place in the world, a journey similar to that of many young girls nowadays throughout the globe. It is a story about young girls being constantly pressured, both by social media and society, to dress and act a certain way, and be overtly sexual. It beautifully portrays the struggles of a young Muslim girl caught between the strict traditions of her culture and a modern society with no tradition nor integrity whatsoever, who, in the end, is able to reject both and chose her own path.
Yes, some scenes are perhaps more explicit than they needed to be — the young girls twerking and touching themselves were very uncomfortable to watch as was the security guard maliciously looking at the girls —, but we have to keep in mind that this kind of behaviour is becoming increasingly common in today's society, and that this is what the director wants to comment and criticize with the film, young people, especially girls, who feel the need to copy what they see on social media in order to fit in.
Doucouré does a very good job at bringing out the humour in the film's lightest moments while keeping a serious tone throughout the film. She is also always in charge of her actors and gets great performances from her cast, especially from the leading child actor. Fathia Youssouf is a genuine revelation as she gives a believable, sympathetic and heartfelt performance in the role of Amy as she delivers the character's struggles with her every single gesture and glance.
Ultimately, while it has its issues, Cuties is a thoughtful and heartfelt coming-of-age, as well as one of those films you have to see before judging.
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