Wears its indie sensibilities a bit heavy, but has the realism, charm and performances to stay the right side of that becoming irritating

On one day in the summer a handful of children will all make one small movement from childhood towards adulthood, all in their own ways.

When this film was featured on a short film webpage I frequent, I must admit that the French title and the longer running time made me decide to watch other shorts most times when I came to the site with time to spare; not sure why this is but it did sound like perhaps would be another dour coming-of-age tale, and the French title made me assume that there would be a nice slice of angst in there too. Luckily I am wrong so often that I have become quite good at getting past what I expect and looking to the film for what it is doing, and in this case, while it is a coming-of-age story, it is Canadian and is actually rather sweet and universal in what it does. The narrative focuses on 4 children who are connected but each having a different day: one is at her grandmothers waiting for her mother to collect her; another is planning to smoke a joint he found in his brother's room; another is (unsuccessfully) selling ice-cream out of her house; and another is stuck in detention with a not unattractive teacher. For each of them their stories are slight and delivered with a rather light, bemused air (which I will come to later).

The stories are not earth-shattering but they are engaging and they all go to a common thematic point, which makes for a satisfying ending as it delivers much more than the stories appear to do; it does this by virtue of them not being exaggerated but rather coming back to universal experiences or moments which many people will recognize elements of life in. These small moments are played out well for their significance to the individual character experiencing them; there is no need to present them in a big way for the viewer, because they are clear as to their significance. Adding to this, the child actors are all very good indeed – some of them have better material than others, but they are all convincingly natural and make that thematic link work well.

The overall presentation of the short is a bit problematic for me – although mostly it works. My issue in particular is that it is just a bit too much deliberate in its indie sensibility – the choice of music, the way that names and titles are presented in chalk within the world of the film, the rather introspective tone it has, all of these things work, but very much do push it to be a "type" of film, and perhaps I have endured too many Juno-inspired twee efforts in my time, but I do tend to get my back up when it feels like something is working its way through a tick list of "quirky yet charming" things to include. That is harsh though because, although the film does get close to that in what it does, the quality in the construct and the delivery means that it doesn't ever just become the soundtrack or the cute ideas etc., but I guess it does have the potential to annoy those who really don't like that style of film.

That said, the film as a whole works really well because it does have a slightly delivered charm to it, with a core of good material which is well delivered to be accessible and meaningful to the viewer; all of this is greatly helped by all of the children being very natural and engaging in front of the camera, without a hint of being precocious in any of them.

French-language cinema, whether in France, Québec, or other Francophone regions, explores cultural identity, social change, and the tension between the individual and society. French cinema is not only celebrated for its intellectual experimentation and auteur traditions, but also its success in mainstream comedy, romance, and commercial entertainment. In Québec, films often focus on questions of language, belonging, and community within a distinct cultural landscape.

Jean-Pierre Léaud in The 400 Blows (1959)

The comedy genre refers to a category of entertainment that aims to amuse and entertain audiences by using humor, wit, and comedic situations. Comedies are created with the primary intention of eliciting laughter and providing lighthearted enjoyment. They encompass a wide range of styles, tones, and themes, appealing to various tastes and audiences.

Will Ferrell, Angela Grillo, and Lap-Gei Cheung in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

On one summer day, four children face themselves, and become a little older.

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