Sloth is an underrated sin. I’d never really considered it before; I find it quite boring. But sloth is the driver of today’s sin parade, led by the American Right to attack a French tween dance film called Cuties. Like their leader, the Donald, a creature entirely comprised of the seven, the Right has an exclusive in on all deadly sins … and they ought to know because they deal in them so often. For Cuties, the American Right has been quick to denounce the lust associated with sexual exploitation of underage actresses. And, of course, they’ve done this with the pride of self-righteousness greedily and gluttonously feeding again and again and again from the trough of fact-free media, zealous and quick to demonstrate their wrath at all things they identify as enemies, while secretly envious of people whose problems do not all tie back to their voting records.
Yet for all the ugly finger pointing and accusatory behavior, the true sin here is sloth. For it is quite obvious to me that the vast majority of the people who complain about this film have not seen it. This should come as no surprise; anyone capable of voting for Donald Trump is intellectually lazy. You don’t really want to see a French film about teenage girls any more than you actually wish to consider whether Donald Trump’s actions have actually been beneficial for the country. It couldn’t be more obvious that your mind was decided by the media you never question, feeds you hate, and promotes conspiracy theories.
Well, I didn’t know what to make of the Cuties hype, so I watched it. It’s not a great film, but it’s definitely a message film. The sad part? All you bigots quick to condemn the film sight unseen? You might LOVE the message; it’s all about the dangers of parental defiance and growing up too fast.
Amy (Fathia Youssouf Abdillahi) is the new Muslim kid on the block. She is lonely and friendless at her new place and mom constantly drags her to the devout and prudish rituals of her faith. Ugh. Honestly? That would turn me off any religion. At one point in the film, grandma tells Amy (essentially) “it’s time you became a woman” at which point she hands her a sack of onions to peel and dice.
Oh that takes me back … remember that time dad wanted be to “become a man” by cleaning out the garage? Ah, parenting.
Back in the complex, Amy spies a fellow tween (Médina El Aidi-Azouni) getting down in the laundry room. Amy can’t look away. The next day at school, Amy
sees her laundro-mate with a trio of her own friends … and they’re all really into dancing. It’s only a matter of time before Amy joins the tail-shaking.
Once Amy becomes a member of the crew, Cuties explores two major themes: one is the increasingly rebellious behavior from Amy vis-à-vis her family; the other is the increasingly suggestive dance moves the girls employ. Oh, there’s definitely sexually-inspired behavior here; ultra-conservative arguments are not entirely without merit, these underage actresses have been deliberately sexualized…but this is where you actually need to see the film. The counterpoint of the Cuties crew gyrating and twerking is Amy’s own burgeoning sexuality of which she is completely confused. The girls themselves employ moves that one might see in strip clubs – but you have to look at the action to see what’s going on: their bodies say, “oh yeah, I’m ready for sex,” but their faces say, “I don’t why this gets attention; I just know that it does.”
This is the entire point of the film – that girls who are exposed to sexuality without context (not unlike those who read a QAnon theory or watch Fox News without context) are at sea. They want attention. They want to replicate the moves that get “likes” on social media. They want to be grown-ups with grown-up bodies. They know what they want. But they don’t really know why. That’s the point of the film … and those who seek to protect the innocence of childhood –which seems to describe anyone who shares pedophile conspiracies— might just understand this film is on your side. Morons.
Oh there’s underage sexuality selling here – but this is a commentary on the subject – and a very conservative commentary at that- as in “well, what do you expect when society gives you the Kardashians as role models?” And “this is what happens when you sell your body – you just didn’t notice because you’re an adult – see how horrified you are when you see a tween do it?” Saying Cuties is a celebration of exploitation and underage sexuality misses the point of this film entirely. It’s like saying The Accused is a celebration of gangbanging.
As for the film itself? I liked Amy enough to follow her life, but Cuties didn’t actually have a great deal to say about it. Like many young and unsure folks in the world, Amy often looks blank while waiting for an identity to develop, and-of course- the identity she does develop is self-defeating. I like the depth and the message of the film a great deal more than the characters. It’s just enough to give a mild recommendation.
Underage dancers are keen to anoint
Some sexy moves up in their joint
Producers should think again
Before showing off pre-teen skin
I’d be madder if that weren’t exactly the point
Rated TV-MA, 96 Minutes
Director: Maïmouna Doucouré
Writer: Maïmouna Doucouré
Genre: It was “coming of age,” now it’s “getting a rise out of assholes”
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Parents of teens
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: MAGAts
