Tomboy is just as simple as the title suggests. It tells a innocent deceit by a ten year old Laure (Zoé Héran) pretending to be a boy in order to play with neighborhood kids. As with her feature debut, Waterlilies, Celine Sciamma has a knack for getting amazing performances out of her young actors. Particularly, Zoé Héran is a revelation. Her portrayal of a confused child (not of her sexuality but the sexual politics) is touching and deeply felt. Sciamma doesn't go for easy drama. Rather, she aces on acutely chronicling the behavior and mindset of a conflicted pre-adolescent. One of the year's best.
