https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuties
Cuties (French: Mignonnes) is a 2020 French coming-of-age comedy-drama film written and directed by Maïmouna Doucouré in her feature directorial debut.[1] The film stars Fathia Youssouf, Médina El Aidi-Azouni, Esther Gohourou, Ilanah Cami-Goursolas and Maïmouna Gueye. The plot revolves around a traditional Senegalese Muslim girl who is caught between two contrasting sides, traditional values and Internet culture, while also discussing hypersexualization of pre-adolescent girls.[2][3]
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Netflix marketing controversy
See also: Criticism of Netflix § Content issues
Prior to its release on Netflix, the film was not deemed as controversial when it was screened at Sundance or released in France.[9] After Netflix acquired Cuties, its international promotional poster and trailer for the film were criticized for allegedly sexualizing 11-year-old girls,[23][22][24][25] and were different from those used to promote the film in its original release in France. The Parents Television Council (PTC), as well as petitions garnering hundreds of thousands of signatures from Change.org, requested Netflix to remove the film entirely.[23][26] Followers of the QAnon conspiracy theory were strongly against the film as well.[9] In response, Netflix replaced the controversial poster with a new one, stating, "This was not an accurate representation of the film so the image and description has been updated."[27][28][29] American actress Tessa Thompson came out in support of the film when it was lambasted in the social media, stating that "Cuties is a beautiful film" and revealed that she felt "gutted" when she saw the film for the first time during the Sundance premiere.[30] In Turkey, the Ministry of Family asked Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) to take the necessary precautions and evaluate the film.[31] RTÜK demanded the film be removed from the Netflix catalogue.[32][33] In September 2020, Pakistani actor Hamza Ali Abbasi also signed one of the petitions and demanded Netflix to cancel the planned release of the film in the platform.[34]
In an interview with Deadline Hollywood, the director of the film, Maïmouna Doucouré, revealed that she received numerous death threats, direct messages and personal attacks following the backlash about the film on social media.[35][36] She insisted that things happened fairly quickly after delays due to the COVID-19 so that she was focusing and concentrating solely on the film's theatrical release in France and by the time she was not acknowledged about the controversial poster unveiled by Netflix.[37] She has claimed that she was notified of the film's poster controversy after being informed of the negative feedback and reviews from public in social media. She said also that the co-CEO of Netflix phoned her directly and apologised for the poster release.[38][35]
The release of the film prompted further backlash with #CancelNetflix trending on Twitter. [39][40]
Critical response
As of September 2020, the film holds an 90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 30 reviews with an average rating of 7.42 out of 10.[41] At Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 64 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "Generally favorable reviews".[42]
Roger Ebert gave the film four stars stating "“Cuties” is a difficult and challenging film, pushing the idea of “depiction does not equal endorsement” to its limit."[43] In a review for IndieWire, Kate Erbland wrote, "Although Doucouré steeps Cuties in emotion and experience, she abandons its grace to make crazier gestures."[44] In a positive review, Variety said, "Newcomer Youssouf has an anchoring presence. Occasionally, Doucouré lets her light up the screen with a smile, and at the director's most expressionistic, the girl floats", though it noted that the film is aiming to get more "gasps than laughs" with its dance numbers.[45] Other reviewers noted that the film is intended to criticize "a culture that steers impressionable young girls toward the hypersexualization of their bodies" and "seems to want to provoke censure".[2][3] Clarisse Fabre of Le Monde praised the film and noted that it avoids judging the sexualized dances of the girls.[46]
Libération described the film as "endearing but too demonstrative", adding that "the film remains on the threshold of the discomfort that it intends to press each time it meets the male gaze, as if it was afraid to blame it head on".[47] According to France Info, "Mignonnes' words are a subtle reflection on the condition of women when childhood and innocence discreetly recede" and a "female cast carried by the intensity of the young Fathia Youssouf, a revelation".[48]
The plot of the film drew comparisons to films such as The Fits, a 2015 American drama film directed by Anna Rose Holmer, 2019 French-Senegalese drama film Atlantics directed by Mati Diop and Girlhood, a 2014 French drama film directed by Céline Sciamma.[49]
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