Cuties
netflixIn a time where underaged girls are finding fame dancing to songs about sex on TikTok and social media consistently rewards those willing to show more skin than others, it seemed like only a matter of time until this topic of over-sexualisation of not just women but specifically underaged women would find its way to being explored on the big screen. Easily one of the most talked about films looking over this topic is Maïmouna Doucouré's feature directorial debut, Cuties (Mignonnes).
The 11-year-old Amy (Fathia Youssouf) that the audience is first introduced to within Cuties is still in the very early aftermath of a major act of diastrophism within her life. Having immigrated with her small family to Paris from Senegal, Amy finds herself ostracised in more ways than one. Not only is she the new girl in town with very little connections or friends, but the culture she finds herself immersed in is vastly different from anything she has experienced before. Her school is filled with groups of children who find various rewards in twerking, even competing as groups against others in local competitions. Despite belonging to a strongly religious family, Amy finds her way into one of these cliques and begins to push the limits both physically and socially.
No matter what the actual content of Cuties would end up being, its conversation from the first poster dropped by Netflix to promote the release has and will be dominated by accusations of the film being made for pedophiles that rewards those who over-sexualise children. The narrative immediately became void of any actual understanding or engagement with what the film was actually trying to say, almost becoming guilty by association simply due to the topics it was covering. Where the film undeniably walks a fine line bringing the audience uncomfortably close to this topic in an act that automatically will alienate plenty of audience members, it is this engagement with the topic that allows the film to find its deeper and more nuanced look at the negatives of the acts these children are finding themselves embracing more and more.
The conversation within Cuties, for better or for worse, is one of complexity and nuance. Rather than simply criticising the over-sexualisation of children, the film takes its time finding the deeper meaning that it has specifically to the children. From Amy using the dances as a tool to express her rebellion against her religious upbringing to other characters getting sucked into the drastically unhealthy temporary validation of social media, the film, to a fault, refuses to cast these actions off as the work of the devil and rather wants to build a well rounded exploration, which eventually could be used to build to a more nuanced conclusion and thesis on the topic. While this intention is undeniable, the follow through is what makes the film complicated to truly judge on a moral level. The heart is there, yet the voice simply isn't. Cuties is a film that starts multiple deeper and compelling conversations, only to never give the follow through for these introductions to conversations to actually sprout into full discourse and an eventual thesis.
A large root issue within the film leading to why this film struggles to find an overall thesis is its refusal to blame any one group or identity for the issues present. The film shows how society rewards this behaviour but also frees society from blame, as the pressure for Amy to join the Cuties group is from the young children themselves. Cuties then justifies, on a deeper level, why these girls feel the need to join groups like this, even if the acts themselves make them feel uncomfortable, and continues in this circle of not finding an address to mail its anger to. Even if the film decided to cast blame on all parties, the weight could have been there and a thesis could have formed. Sadly, the film fails to even go this route and, ultimately, feels like a shot into a dark void that fails to find not only a bullseye but ultimately a target.
These narrative issues and debates might hurt the film overall, but they absolutely should not take away from the technical ability, primarily in its visuals. Not only is the framing quite excellent from cinematographer Yann Maritaud, who constantly makes the most out of seemingly standard sets with choices like making two girls have a conversation while sitting in a washing machine, but there is legitimately strong visual storytelling throughout. No example of this stands out quite as impressingly as the blue dress given to Amy to wear at her father's wedding. Throughout the film, the dress – which is from Senegal made in a traditional style – haunts Amy from her closet, constantly serving as a visual reminder to the turmoil within her head which she is trying to escape. The color palette of the film constantly helps the dress stand out, and the film is consistently subtle not hitting the audience over the head with message or weight of the dress every time it appears on screen.
No matter what, Cuties is a film that will forever be tied to controversy, and thought questioning the true impact media will have in its intended conversation is important, there are cases such as this where the conversation becomes so void of what is actually being said within the film that it almost invalidates the positive messages actually within the movie. Cuties is a film with high ambitions, attempting and succeeding in becoming a mature and nuanced look at this taboo and often triggering topic but also undeniably struggles. When it comes time to make a grand statement and bring it all together, Cuties misses the mark and, ultimately, the weight of the film prior to the ending is not enough to fully carry its conversation. Even with this, Cuties is worth checking out, not only for the deeper conversation it starts but also simply so the conversation surrounding the film can become more critically relevant to what the film actually is, in order for a more nuanced discussion of the film and its messages can begin, which should be the goal, no matter how unpractical that actually is in the modern era of hot take and cancel culture social media.
