Stuck in the middle between a beautiful older sister and a brainiac younger sister, 13-year-old Aurore struggles to find her place — which arrives in an unlikely way when she is invited to be the only girl in an all-male band.

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TIFF Kids

Miss Impossible

Emilie Deleuze

In a world cluttered with coming-of-age stories, Emilie Deleuze's Miss Impossible is a breath of fresh air. It captures the unique frustrations of a teenager for whom the banality of a conflict-free life is merely an excuse to turn everything into a drama.

Thirteen-year-old Aurore (Léna Magnien) may be starting the seventh grade for a second time, but she's clearly a bright girl — she has no shortage of quick-witted retorts. Her hyperbole, however, has little effect on her new teacher, Sébastien Quest (Alex Lutz), and his relentless attempts to broaden Aurore's literary horizons. Stuck in the middle between a beautiful older sister and a brainiac younger sister, Aurore struggles to find her place, but this year is shaping up to be even worse than the last one. While she was initially appalled at her parents' threat to ship her off to a boarding school, she's starting to believe that it isn't their worst idea.

To stave off boredom, Aurore tries on different personas, but nothing seems to fit — until she is asked to join a band. Wary of being the only girl in an all-male group, she refuses at first. But she warms to the idea, and the bond she forms with her new bandmates will help her open up in unexpected ways.

In this adaptation of Marie Desplechin's bestselling novel, Jamias contente: Le journal d'Aurore, Deleuze shows us an everyday family whose aggravation and misunderstanding is always trumped by their love for one another. Miss Impossible takes an uncommonly honest and insightful approach to the subject of early adolescence. This is due in no small part to the contribution of newcomer Léna Magnien, who delivers a standout performance as a girl trying to hold tight to her uncompromising views while making the angsty and awkward transition into the teenage world.

ELIZABETH MUSKALA

This film is recommended for ages 12 and up.

N.B. teenagers seen drinking beer, one incident of a teenager being drunk; smoking; mild foul language; flippant reference to suicide and abuse; discussion of sexuality

Screenings

Thu Sep 08

Scotiabank 6

Industry
7:45pm
Sun Sep 11

Scotiabank 10

Regular
12:45pm
Sat Sep 17

Scotiabank 10

Regular
12:45pm