Review of Forbidden games (2015) by Mark A — 26 Sep 2011

A quiet little film that explores how children respond when in a terrifying situation outside of their control. Brigitte Fossey is simply marvelous as the little girl dealing with the early days of WWII, and the loss of her family and her dog.

She is taken in by a French farm family and forms an instant bond with the youngest son, who is a few years older than her. Their friendship and the innocence with which they channel their grief into a mutual project are the focus of the film.

This reviewer is grateful for the editing choices, and the way the director was able to elicit such a range of emotions from this young actress. In the extras on this disc, we learn that he originally had sought an older child to play the girl, but recognized Ms Fossey's ability to channel her emotions in a way that made the character light up the screen.

We also get to see the alternate beginning and ending that thankfully did not make the final cut. One is of the opinion that they were prepared in order to sell the film if it was deemed too dark. But the scenes would have lessened the impact of the film greatly and might have made it less enduring.

Some scenes were difficult to watch, but must be understood in the context of the times. Children were certainly not coddled.