One of the more interesting concepts for a film coming out of Canada in 2017, Les rois mongols (which was dubiously translated to the more inoffensive title "Cross My Heart") picks up on memories of the October Crisis in Quebec (1970) to explore the issue of children's rights. Fearing being sent to a foster home, Manon and her brother Mimi join their cousins to kidnap an old lady, believing from the news that you can get anything with a hostage.
There's a bit of syrupy sweetness with the old lady willing to act as the grandmother to the kids, and a few laughs here and there and delicate pathos. We have a sympathetic heroine who doesn't understand much of what she sees in the news, but isn't ignorant to her situation. It doesn't come down to an unrealistic happy ending- she's sent to a centre for juvenile delinquents rather than getting off scott free, Teaching Mrs. Tingle/House Arrest (1996) style. She does escape to pick up Mimi from his foster home... but you can't imagine they'll get far, and the story ends on a sad, poignant note.
There's a bit of syrupy sweetness with the old lady willing to act as the grandmother to the kids, and a few laughs here and there and delicate pathos. We have a sympathetic heroine who doesn't understand much of what she sees in the news, but isn't ignorant to her situation. It doesn't come down to an unrealistic happy ending- she's sent to a centre for juvenile delinquents rather than getting off scott free, Teaching Mrs. Tingle/House Arrest (1996) style. She does escape to pick up Mimi from his foster home... but you can't imagine they'll get far, and the story ends on a sad, poignant note.