publication date: May 31, 2012
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author/source: Anne Coates
On the Sly gives an
amazing insight into the thoughts and
feelings of a young child.
Every weekend
Cathy (Wynona Ringer) and her parents (
Olivier and Macha Ringer) leave Paris for their home in the country. Cathy, in the back seat of their car provides a
thought-provoking commentary on her busy parents' life and how
they don't see her... At a petrol station they both
leave her in the car – she gets out and has to
run after them when they drive off without her!
As their
weekend unfolds, Cathy's "invisibility" is
heartbreakingly described via the child's internal monologue. Her parents
ignore her, leave her notes and
ring a bell to call her for lunch "even when I'm not hungry". During a visit to a
farm shop – she's not allowed out fo the car in case she
gets dirty! – a worker gives her some "
magic beans" which lead Cathy into an
adventure and her parents into a
nightmare although you hardly see their reactions when Cathy fails to get into the car when
they leave for home. She stands for
hours waiting for them to realise ...
Cathy's
survival skills, dedication to her seeds,
friendship with a fish and a big beast make
captivating viewing. While
Home Alone went for laughs,
On the Sly tugs at your conscience and your heartstrings and perhaps reminds
adults of their own
childhood. Maybe children watching the
film will be thinking about their
own adventures – or
lack of them! The film is "dubbed" but there's
no problem with "lip synch" since Cathy's
commentary is a voice-over. Perfect!
PWT rating: ♥♥♥♥♥On The Sly is released by
Showcomotion Films at selected cinemas nationwide:
On The Sly (
A pas du loup), from
Les Films d'Antoine Production, won the
European Children's Film Association (ECFA) prize in 2011.
