User reviews

"My Little Princess", Eva Ionesco's debut film explores the intense relationship between mother & daughter. Although, initially it may sound like a cinematic cliché to go over family dynamics once again, the film offers us a double controversy:

The first being the relationship itself and the fact that the mother (played beautifully by Isabelle Huppert) takes erotic/pornographic photos of her under-aged daughter(Anamaria Vartolomei) and sells them. The second being that these very events happened in the director's actual life and caused a huge spark in France.

The narration explores how these dynamics came to be about and their ultimate unraveling. Aesthetically, the film borrows a lot from R.W Fassbinder, particularly his BDR trilogy and his collaboration with Hanna Schygulla. Huppert's appearance and beautiful designer gowns (most notably Yves Saint-Laurent) pays homage to the 30s and several references have been made to Marlene Dietrich. The problematic of the working woman struggling to survive in a ruthless world has been explored by the German director back then and is repeated by Ionesco today, with emphasis on child abuse.

Also, Huppert's acting never disappoints but Vartolomei was surprisingly brilliant. Her very young age and the salacious material of the text did not deter this great talent from the intense performance she gave. The latter is indeed a gentle reminder of Brook Shields' days in "Pretty Baby" & "The Blue Lagoon".

To sum up, French films are getting more and more controversial, although I had originally expected a gem out of the "New French Extremity" to be included in the Semaine De La Critique De Cannes, this interesting piece of work is satisfying enough.

Had it not been for the fact that this film - sadly - is based on a true story (it is the director's childhood/autobiography), it would have been a horrible tale to tell with no purpose what so ever.

However, if showing on the silver screen a child actor sexualized and torn between her abusive mother's and her devout (great) grand mother's loves is the only way to spark discussion around child abuse, then so be it

This French movie is rated "Tous publics avec avertissement" which would translate by "General Audiences with caution", which seems very inadequate regarding the topic, the female full frontal nudity and the lascive poses of the tweenaged girl showing her buttocks.

This is the first time I've written a review here. I couldn't contain myself. This film made me feel so strongly...I can hardly write.

Let me give you a quick background on me. As a victim of years of childhood sexual abuse, I've found myself, at various times, watching movies that deal with the subject. You'd think it would be "triggering" and in some form it is. But for reasons I can't explain, it helps me cope and heal. I appreciate a well-done film that tackles the matter because when done right, it can show that these people are not mythical monsters, some frightening force on Law and Order: SVU. They are real human beings. When you see them that way, they lose all of their power. You see them as small, weak, pathetic. And that helps me cope with my past.

Returning to the film. I am STILL shocked this is a true story. And not because it happened. But because of the aftermath. What this woman inflicted on her daughter is horrific. But what fills me with vitriol, what is the most disgusting, is that she has never recognized that what she did was wrong. What a pathetic excuse for a human being. What world do we live in, that a woman can exploit her daughter and create child pornography, but claim that it's "art"?

I've seen the photographs. A quick Google search brings them up. Ionesco was actually a talented photographer. She had an opportunity to take some lovely, interesting photographs of her daughter. But, no. What shocks me is that you can Google these and see them! A fully nude photo on a German magazine when she was 12. Half nude photos of her at 10. And not only that, but in sexual poses and outfits. These are the sorts of photos that land people in jail for the rest of their lives.

You can't claim this as art. Imagine all the pedophiles who delight in the ability to freely access this pornography. These sick people can easily leer at perfectly innocent images of children, yes. BUT this is not some catalog photo of a child modeling a swimsuit. These are EROTIC. What. the. ****. This disgusting piece of trash should be in jail for the rest of her life. Instead, she gets to live her life, continuing to defend her "art" and even duping so many people into believing that this didn't damage her child. I feel as though I could write a book about how disgusted, appalled, and enraged I am by a weak, self- indulgent, abusive, absolutely worthless excuse for a human.

With all of that said, it is this background that makes me admire Huppert's portrayal. She's always had a dark presence. She's a powerhouse. I despised her in this. And that was the point. There were faults in the film, yes, and it's not perfect. But Huppert carries it, and her performance is worth the watch.

I've seen far too many films regarding abuse, rape, and sexual exploitation. And this is one of the worst I've ever seen. It will be hard to keep this from my mind over the next few days. I hope making this has helped Eva cope. I hope that this film can shed some light on how subtle sexual abuse can be, and if the public is more aware of it, perhaps we can stop damaging these innocent children.

Burn in hell, Ionesco.

How old this little actress is? the one doing the victims role? Any Pedophile will be happy to see this movie! You can't tell the story of child abuse using another child even if she is at age this is child abusive. I live in a war zone. Images about my suffering is no good for me and I wont let my kid see them. C's Media is not made to help me up Media is there to tell what happened any photograph or filming on TV or any other media should have limits because we have children to raze and this is not helping. Tell parents to teach their kids about it. make schooled able to interfere when parents abuse their own kids. I've seen cuts from this movie used to make an unofficial music video on you tube. Very easy Access for any teenager anywhere!