Cuties (4 Stars)

This is a film that's been causing controversy over the last two months. Normally I wouldn't have watched it, because it doesn't have a subject matter that interests me. On the other hand, I watched all five "Bring it on" films, so why not? People on my Facebook friends list have been discussing it, which has convinced me that it's something I need to see. After watching the film I'm pleasantly surprised that it deals with issues not mentioned in the news reports about the film controversy.

First, the controversy itself. The film has been accused of over-sexualising young girls. The criticisms came initially when people saw the Netflix promotional poster, which I've reproduced above. There were no complaints when the film was first shown at the Sundance Film Festival, because the audience in attendance consisted of genuine film fans. Netflix viewers are mostly casual people lounging on the sofa who wouldn't know a good film if it hit them in the face. (I said mostly; I subscribe to Netflix as well). The cries of "child pornography!" became so loud that there were campaigns for customers to cancel their Netflix subscriptions. In America there have been calls for the film to be banned, and in Tyler County, Texas a court has charged Netflix with promoting lewd material. It's doubtful that this charge can be upheld, unless it's adopted on a national level.

Defenders of the film claim that its critics are people who haven't even seen the film. There's probably a lot of truth in that.

Now to the film itself. Amy is an 11-year-old girl in Paris, the daughter of immigrants from Senegal. She's forced to follow a strict Moslem upbringing, to which she can't relate. She wants to be like other girls, wearing lipstick and short skirts. She sees another girl from her school, Angelica, dancing, and she wants to be like her. Angelica belongs to a dance group called Mignonnes ("Cuties"), which wants to win a local dancing competition.

Amy becomes friends with the girls, but there's no room for a new member. She watches twerking videos online and practises the dance moves in front of a mirror. After one of the girls leaves the group, Amy takes her place. She teaches the other three girls how to twerk. This prepares the girls to take part in the dance competition, in which they're the youngest competitors.

I can understand the complaints from people who find the film pornographic, even though I disagree. The four girls undulate in a suggestive manner. They're imitating the movements of the older women who post videos online. I can't speak for the other three girls, because we're only put into Amy's head, but in the case of Amy she's easy to understand. She's rebelling against her strict religious upbringing. She doesn't want to cover her head. She doesn't want to end up like her mother, who has to put up with her husband taking a second wife. Amy's aunt boasts that she got married when she was 11, which Amy finds disgusting. People shouldn't be complaining that the dances are pornographic, they should be complaining that Islam promotes child abuse.

This is a film about female empowerment. It's true, the ones telling Amy what to do are women, but they're all the victims of a religion run by men, invented by a sick man who married a six-year-old girl. There's nothing wrong with a woman covering her head, but she should have the right to decide whether or not to do it. Maybe the choices Amy makes in the film are the wrong choices – I'll leave it up to other viewers to judge her – but she should have the right to make her own choices. Good parents would guide her in her choices, but her mother is the slave of a bad religion that prevents her giving good advice.

I'm not saying the film is perfect. There's too much to-ing and fro-ing. Amy is rejected by the other girls, then accepted, then rejected again, then accepted again, etc. This detracts from the film's overall message.

Netflix has the exclusive rights for all countries except France, so you won't be able to find it on DVD or Blu-ray.

If you've watched "Cuties", leave a comment and tell me what you think about it. If you haven't watched it, I don't care what you think.