WillSushyMedia This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

Quiet Muffin This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Billy Ollie Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Neradea33 The movie is the story of Laure, a young French girl who moves to a new place and has to find a place within the children group of her neighborhood. Dominated by young boys, the group counts only one girl who is going to become Laure's confident without actually knowing that she is called Laure. Indeed, Laure pretends to be a boy, Mikael, as soon as she arrives in the neighborhood. The movie is thus, centered on Laure's attempts to be look, behave, talk and act like a boy within the group while she is still hiding this double identity to her parents. This unusual plot is really interesting. First, it raises deep issues that may ring a bell to some viewers. The issues of identity, peer pressure, gender and community are raised throughout the movie. Therefore, Tomboy is the proof of movie's ability to raise personal questions in the viewers mind. Secondly, the notions of active questions and suspense can be applied to this movie. While the time passes and Laure's attempts to look like a boy are compromised either by herself or by her peers. Thus, during the whole movie a single question hooks the viewers: "is her identity going to be discovered?". Altogether, through its content and its form, Tomboy is a really interesting to watch if you are willing to think a little bit!

skyhar24601 I find it interesting that there's not much room for mediocrity here. I see many 7-to-10 star reviews, but the two negative reviewers pulled out the one-star click as though this film were bottom-of-the-barrel. Even if I wasn't interested in the subject matter (which I am) or interested in watching people make an intelligent movie on a frugal budget (which I am), I think I'd be inclined to give the cast and crew the benefit of the doubt. There has been a prolonged and intelligent discussion on several websites as to this film's strengths and weaknesses, with concerns about the movie's direction conversed about thoughtfully and cogently. At any rate, potential viewers ought not be scared off by the inconsideration afforded this movie by a couple of reviewers. If anything, read those one-star reviews more thoroughly than the rest and note the spirit in which they were written, and also the lack of analysis. Then go watch TOMBOY if you haven't already. I'm an older guy who you'd think would be off watching science-fiction, action, or documentaries about 1970's rock bands. But TOMBOY caught my eye and certainly moved my heart and soul.

p.newhouse@talk21.com I debated with myself for months before buying this film, but I love the film 'Ma Vie En Rose', about a little boy who wants to be a little girl, so I was curious to see how the story of a little girl who wants to be a little boy might be handled. I suppose therefore, maybe I bought this film as an academic companion piece to 'Ma Vie En Rose'.In either case, the scenario had to be handled sensitively and proficiently by the actors and directors concerned, to avoid their efforts descending into puerile comedic farce. Fortunately, in both cases, this has not happened.Celine Sciamma's debut as a Director, 'Water Lilies'', was an almost claustrophobically tense dance of adolescent first love, lust, and friendship. This piece, however, retains the freedom and breathtaking joyousness of childhood, without seeking to mask the truth for the sake of an adult's eyes.Zoe Heran is perfectly cast as Laure, the ten year old girl who slips into the persona of Michael without a backward glance when she and her family move to a new neighbourhood. She is to be commended for her bravery in taking on this role, as it cannot be easy for a child to be told that they would do well playing the opposite sex. Casting Zoe Heran's real life friends in the film was a masterstroke, as their presence on screen gives the film a fly-on-the-wall feel that just helps to extend the naturally joyous feel of childhood to the viewer.Inevitably, any serious film collector or fan thinking of buying this film may seek comparisons between Laure and characters such as Saga (Melinda Kinnaman) in 'My Life As A Dog. Don't. This film is very much in the neo-realist tradition of modern European cinema and, as such, the situation in which Laure finds herself is very naturalistic.I should not have prevaricated over buying this film. Watch it, and enjoy your own childhood all over again!

Steve Pulaski "Comedy just pokes at problems, rarely confronts them squarely. Drama is like a plate of meat and potatoes, comedy is rather the dessert, a bit like meringue." - Woody Allen.Whether we like to admit it or not, we all hunger for acceptance in this tumultuous world in one way or another. Film has been my primary source for coping with the unfortunate, and it has so far been a rather successful one. I've always found the best thing to be able to do in a film is to relate to an issue or immerse yourself so deep in the story you feel you are one of the characters and are not just watching them.Céline Sciamma's Tomboy could very well be that film for a young teenage girl who is tirelessly resisting normal teenage girl conventions. Instead of fighting to look like a "Bratz" or "Barbie" doll they are striving to be accepting by their male friends and couldn't care less about the latest trends, what the reality shows are depicting, etc.Our lead character is the shy but noble ten year old Laure (Zoé Héran) whose family has just moved to rural France over the summer. Upset and isolated, she introduces herself to the neighboring kids as "Mickael," and begins to interact with them in a more confident way on her part, becoming more involved with their games, doing male-orientated activities and things of different natures.Laure is very close with her younger sister, Jeanne (Malonn Lévana, who is cute as a button), who is mostly unaware of Laure's "Mickael" alter-ego. It isn't long before Laure also becomes close to Lisa (Jeanne Disson), a young girl who lives close to them and is singled out as the only girl in a group of several males. Lisa begins to take comfort in the idea that she has a boy she can finally connect with.The idea of tomboyish behavior and cross-dressing in the world of film is really not as new as some may believe. We saw this same sort of thing when Corey Haim fell in love with Nicole Eggert's beautiful cheerleader character in Just One of the Girls, a comedy I truly adored, and most recently, Amanda Bynes in She's the Man. This too is an idea that doesn't shy away from the sitcom-scene either. Case and point, the Zoey 101 episode "Girls Will Be Boys." All three of those characters in those examples dress up like the opposite sex to prove some sort of a point, while Laure does it because she truly feels comfortable in skin not her own.The true star here is Zoé Héran, who chooses one hell of an acting debut. She immerses herself into a character that is considerably deep and filled to the prim of poignancy and despair. She doesn't put on a spry, cutesy look for the camera as some child stars tend to bask in. She really doesn't care what you think of her character. She is directed by Céline Sciamma, whose previous film, Water Lilies, a film exploring the sexual awakenings of teenage girls. Sciamma is like the French Larry Clark, only more mild and driven more by close character examinations rather than constant exploiting. It goes without saying that both are fantastic in their own respected field.This is a surprising film, tender in its direction and genuine to its previous formula that relied heavily on humor. Never have we truly gotten into the drama that will inevitably loom over someone who does something like this. We see those who do this as people who want an answer or want to prove some sort of point. Laure doesn't want to prove a point, but this solely for personal acceptance and not immediate gratification.Starring: Zoé Héran, Malonn Lévana, Jeanne Disson, Sophie Cattani, and Mathieu Demy. Directed by: Céline Sciamma.