Miss (2020)

A young man seeking his sexual identity decides to take part in the Miss France beauty pageant.

Director:

Ruben Alves

Writers:

Elodie Namer (screenplay), Ruben Alves (screenplay)

Stars:

Alexandre Wetter, Pascale Arbillot, Isabelle Nanty

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alexandre Wetter	...	Alex Dufresnoy (as Alex Wetter)
Pascale Arbillot	...	Amanda
Isabelle Nanty	...	Yolande
Thibault de Montalembert	...	Lola
Stéfi Celma	...	Miss PACA
Quentin Faure	...	Elias Naïm
Amanda Lear	...	Marraine
Baya Rehaz	...	Miss Saint-Pierre et Miquelon
Alexiane Torres	...	Miss Corse
Hedi Bouchenafa	...	Amhed
Moussa Mansaly	...	Randy
Ruchi Ranjan	...	Padini
Cécile Rebboah	...	Charlotte, l'assistante
Rosemine Safy-Borget	...	Padmé
Claire Chust	...	Daphné

Storyline

2004, Alex, a 9-year-old boy who happily navigates between genres, has a dream: one day to be elected Miss France. 15 years later, Alex has lost his parents and his self-confidence and stagnates in a monotonous life. An unforeseen meeting will awaken this forgotten dream. Alex then decides to compete in Miss France by hiding his identity as a boy. Beauty, excellence, camaraderie - Through the stages of a merciless competition, helped by a colorful family of hearts, Alex will set out to conquer the title, his femininity and above all, himself .

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Plot Keywords:

male dressed as female | identity | one word title | sexual identity | transvestite | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Les enfants de la télé: Episode dated 8 March 2020 (2020)

User Reviews

A Lighthearted Comedy About Serious Issues

Since his teens Alex has wanted only one thing - to become Miss France. The problem is - he is boy.

At the age of 24 Alex is trying to attempt just that - to participate in a competition that will propel him to stardom. Now he needs to become a woman if not in the flesh, then in look and spirit. His helpers are his quirky family of neighbours - all outsiders in their own right, plus a childhood friend, a famous boxer, who will help him build his fighting spirit. Will Alex be able to achieve the impossible and what price will he have to pay?

Director Ruben Alves (The Gilded Cage) loves to populate his films with quirky memorable characters and MISS is no exception. The boarding house where a middle aged cross dresser, two drug dealing wannabes, Indian sweatshop workers who don't speak French and where all are ruled by an always grumpy landlady, is a great setting for a comedy about serious issues. While providing plenty of laugh out loud moments and delivering some hard to swallow twists, the film demands to be taken seriously when the story concerns the dilemmas of the protagonists.

Under someone else's clumsy hand MISS could have turned into a preachy and boring politically correct drama. Ruben Alves manages to provide the exact balance of funny and sad, with plenty of irony and humour, creating a lighthearted atmosphere that is, above all, genuinely entertaining.

MISS would never have worked without its star Alexander Wetter, who makes this outrageous scenario a believable one. He is the heart and the soul of the film. It is a surprisingly deep and poignant performance.

MISS is a modern Cinderella story where a prince and a princess come in the same package. It's about accepting who you are, striving for greatness against all odds.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan]

Country:

France Belgium

Language:

French

Release Date:

21 October 2020 (France)

Also Known As:

Miss

Box Office

Budget:

EUR4,800,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$729,773

Company Credits

Production Co:

Zazi Films, Chapka Films, France 2 Cinéma

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1