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Angel Face

Angel Face

2018

Not Rated

Director

Vanessa Filho

Runtime

120 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

8-year-old Elli and her mother, Marlène, live in a small town by the French Riviera where they act out to relieve boredom and hide from social services. When Marlène caves in to yet another night of excess, she chooses to leave Elli behind for a man she just met. The young child must confront her mother's demons in order to get her back.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

5.4/10

Fair


Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Fair

The narrative focuses on the maternal-child bond and the consequences of substance abuse. There is no explicit evidence of LGBTQ+ characters or non-cisnormative identities within the primary plot.

Gender Representation

Good

The film disrupts traditional hierarchies by centering female struggle and maternal instability. It explores female agency through the lens of self-destruction rather than idealized domesticity.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Limited

Set on the French Riviera, the film appears to reflect a localized, homogeneous social environment. The character names suggest a predominantly Eurocentric cast with limited intersectional breadth.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Good

The story deconstructs the sanctity of the nuclear family by portraying parenthood as a source of instability. It critiques Western social institutions and conventional social mores.

Disability Representation

Fair

The film touches upon the invisible disability of addiction and mental health struggles. Marlène’s psychological instability serves as a central driver of the plot.

Strengths

  • Challenges traditional notions of maternal virtue and domestic stability.
  • Provides a nuanced critique of Western social services and institutions.
  • Explores the psychological complexities of addiction and mental health.

Areas for Improvement

  • Lacks significant racial and ethnic variety within the ensemble.
  • Offers no explicit representation of LGBTQ+ identities or narratives.
  • The narrow social focus limits the film's intersectional breadth.

AI Analysis

Angel Face is a social drama that prioritizes psychological depth over broad demographic representation. It succeeds in subverting traditional domestic ideals, offering a gritty look at maternal instability and systemic failure. However, the film remains narrow in its scope. The setting and character focus suggest a lack of racial and LGBTQ+ diversity, making the narrative feel somewhat localized and homogeneous. Ultimately, the film's strength lies in its willingness to explore the complexities of marginalized individuals and the dysfunction of the domestic unit.

How are these scores produced? →

Featured in

  • Best Religious & Cultural Representation in Film

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Diversity score: 5.4 out of 10

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