Review of Ponette

You have to accept the ending on the child's terms. The entire film is spent at the child's level, so when the ending comes you have to believe in children's logic. Ponette doesn't see her mother coming back to life briefly as illogical, so neither should we. When you return to an adult's perspective, it is obviously a dream or a hallucination. It is quite natural for those who have lost a loved one to imagine that loved one returning in a dream state and telling you to move on, so I think it is quite realistic. I wish though that this was made more obvious; the ambiguity is a flaw. Perhaps it is for the children's audience; the ending is trying to work to both adults and children.

That little girl truly is amazing. She makes me want to see Chocolat again because she has a big role in that. Definitely a talent for the future!