Madeline is a pleasant little film based on the children's books written by Ludwig Bemelmans. The story is about a school for young girls that is at risk of being shut down. This is particularly frightening for little Madeline who doesn't have any parents to take care of her if the school is closed. We see the girls get into a number of silly situations along the way, mostly prompted by the actions of Madeline. I wouldn't necessarily describe her as a trouble-maker, but she is a bit precocious at times. Hatty Jones was simply adorable in the role, and I never found her obnoxious or annoying. I liked how this film shows the relationships between the young kids, because it all felt authentic based on the way children that age will treat one another. Casting Frances McDormand for the role of the nun/teacher Miss Clavel was a great choice, because she nails that mix of stern and compassionate. The film is quite juvenile and silly, so it's not exactly made for me, but I think those qualities are perfect for the target audience. It does a wonderful job of finding the right tone for a kids' movie without being aggressively juvenile or condescending, and I will probably end up recommending it to some of my friends with young ones.
Review of Madeline
