Petit Mal

Petit Mal is an understated relationship drama about a polyamorous lesbian throuple. The film opens with a definition which ensures you know that yes, we are talking about the type of seizure. I’ve never been in a poly relationship so, maybe that comparison is accurate. I doubt it, though. What I doubt further is that the comparison could be used in the other direction. I don’t think anyone has ever had a seizure and thought to themselves, “wow. That was just like the domestic troubles of a committed polyamorous relationship.” But I’ve never had a seizure either, so maybe I’m way off base.

The film opens with the statement that, “this is our real fiction.” I take that oxymoron to mean the film is semi-autobiographical. Which would make sense. The film’s writer/director, Ruth Caudeli stars in the film, playing a director named Laia. One of her partners, Martina, is a film editor and we see her sometimes editing the footage of the very film we’re watching. The third member of the trio is Anto. My apologies to her, I don’t remember what her character’s job is. I mostly just remember her crying. The plot of the film is that Laia’s job takes her away from their home for an extended period of time. Laia struggles on her own and Martina and Anto struggle without her. As Laia’s absence drags on, she begins to feel out of place in their poly dynamic.

The good bit of this film is that we finally have a sapphic, poly film that avoids some of the commonalities of that subgenre. First off, this is a lesbian polycule. Most other sapphic poly films I see are bisexual and have a man as one member of the polycule. Also, Petit Mal is underplayed and lacks what seems to be a common conclusion to poly stories. This movie does not feature a return to two-person monogamy or a breakup. It also doesn’t feature a re-establishing of heterosexual order. Which admittedly, would be quite a left turn for the film given the absence of men in the core relationship.

But while I respect the existence of Petit Mal, its underplayed nature means this movie is a bit boring. The relationship drama feels pretty minor. It’s just two women missing their third while she’s away. But don’t worry, they are all emotionally open and intelligent enough to work through their relationship snags. I mean, I’m happy for them, especially because this relationship might be more or less real. But it doesn’t make for the best drama.

My bigger problem is that Petit Mal is a genre I so often dislike; the semi autobiography. One of the film’s taglines is “welcome to our relationship.” But that doesn’t feel right. It feels more like “welcome to my (Ruth Caudeli Martí’s) relationship. Showing one’s real story is a respectable goal, especially when it’s something as frequently sensationalized as polyamory. But Petit Mal is so specific it doesn’t work as a portrait of polyamory. It only functions as a portrait of Ruth Caudeli’s specific relationship.

Her role as director additionally means Caudeli Martí perhaps centres herself too strongly in this narrative. While she’s away working, the film changes to black and white. Maybe this represents how there isn’t any colour when they’re not together. But it feels more like the other two’s lives are colourless without Laia (Caudeli Martí). The film ends with Laia’s return and how now she feels out of step and left out. Laia feels like the focus of the relationship and the movie itself. This can be to the detriment of the other two and the film’s story as a whole.

I haven’t ruled out the idea that maybe I don’t like this movie because I’m envious. Oh boo-hoo, the drama here is a director’s job takes her away from her two girlfriends who love and miss her. Most people don’t even have one girlfriend, Ruth! But really, I don’t really vibe with how small and specific Petit Mal is. As much as it’s a representation of reality, it’s so clearly a scripted and edited version that it doesn’t feel that “real.” While it doesn’t feel real, it also lacks a level of drama. I’m a bitch who loves excitement and there isn’t much here. I’m looking more for Grand Mal, I guess. Longer, more intense, and will literally knock you into unconsciousness.

Overall rating: 4.5/10

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