The Hedgehog - Movie Review

How often do we actually see the people we interact with every day? I don’t mean “see” them in the sense of being visually aware of them. I am referring to seeing them as people. To some extent, we probably all see what we want to see and assume the rest. It goes back to the old adage about judging a book by its cover. The Hedgehog gives us an opportunity to examine ourselves and consider how hypocritical we are all capable of being.

Paloma (Garance le Guillermic) is an eleven-year-old with serious issues. The dysfunction in her family has rubbed off on her. She is an extremely intelligent and artistic girl who assumes a negative worldview based on family experiences. Instead of growing into an adulthood that will change her into the people she is surrounded by, Paloma has decided to take her own life on her twelfth birthday. That is an incredible foundation upon which to build a story, but this is the framework that Mona Achache uses to weave her tale.

Paloma is wealthy. Her father has given her an old video camera that she uses to film every interaction. She uses the camera to document the insanity that surrounds her. Her mother Solange (Anne Brochet) interacts with plants better than people. She has been in counseling (and on medication) for a decade. Her father, Paul (Wladimir Yordanoff) makes attempts to connect with Paloma, but seems consumed by his work. Her sister, Colombe (Sarah Lepicard) is self-absorbed. Paloma feels the future is useless until she begins a friendship with the janitor, Renee (Josiane Balasko). Renee is a frumpy janitor who has a secret appetite for books.

Renee has a secret. She is well read, but seemingly embarrassed by her knowledge. She fears that people will view her as snobbish if they learn of her cultured endeavors. She is slowly drawn out of her shell with the arrival of a new tenant in her building named Kakuro Ozu (togo Igawa). Ozu takes a liking to Renee and gradually draws her out of her shell. It is just when Renee begins to appreciate life that things abruptly change. But not before having a profound impact on the impressionable young Paloma.

Mona Achache adapted this screenplay form a novel by Muriel Barbery, The Elegance of the Hedgehog. The theme comes from a comment that Paloma makes to Ozu when describing the chubby, unkempt janitor. She describes her as a hedgehog…prickly on the outside but warm and refined on the inside. This is the same quality that Ozu finds in Renee, leading to a blossoming friendship. The story evolves from characters with severe dysfunction toward characters that have positive traits worth emulating. It is this character transition that Paloma seems to embrace when she decides that she will become a janitor (her father delivers a great line, when he tells Paloma “let me know if there is anything I can do to help you with that”). The strong character development gives this film teeth. I enjoyed the dialogue and characters, although the pacing seemed sluggish at times. The ending was one that provokes thought without fully answering all of the questions posed in the film. In this film, that concept worked brilliantly. The film felt like it had heavy influences from the real Ozu (Director, Yasujiro Ozu).

Le Guillermic managed to get on my nerves. The young actress portrayed a character who interfered with everybody’s business and suffered from her own diagnosable issues. So, I guess that is a testament Le Guillermic’s performance. The fact that her character irritated me at times was a good thing. Her character was flawed, and should have been. Her ability to bring these flaws out while charming the audience was a great asset to the film. I also enjoyed Balasko, who did not make a Hollywood transformation from frumpy janitor to Angelina Jolie. Instead, Achache kept the story believable by casting Balasko in the role. Balasko managed to convince me with her transformation, even if she remained outwardly average. I also found Igawa to be refreshing. His performance felt genuine and maybe even a bit understated. In a good way. It was a very gentle performance that enhanced the overall qualities of the film. The casting was spot on.

The Hedgehog examines our own behavior and sheds light on the way we treat people. It takes an indirect approach at exposing our own short-comings, while presenting an intriguing set of relationships filled with conflict. The subtlety of this film was a bonus. There was plenty of nuance to go along with the broader themes. The casting/acting was exceptional, the story intriguing and the dialogue brilliant. There were pacing issues, especially during the first half of the film. Overall, this film worked for me. It had some offbeat humor, quirky characters, a charming story, interesting themes and nuance. A great combination. 8/10.