Crisply directed, and marbled with a deft humor that places it way outside the Swiss norm, Little Girl Blue is a delight. Sidestepping most coming-of-ager cliches, this wry comedy-drama centred on a new teen in town reps an impressive first feature by writer-director Anna Luif. Diminutive Muriel Neukom is cute as a lollipop as Sandra, 13, who´s just moved into a new part of town and pals up with a 14-year-old called Mike (Andreas Eberle), also a loner. From the opening sequence of Sandra miming a pop classic - her family nickname is "Elvis" - it´s clear the pic is going to be more than just a standard teen romancer. Luif´s precise direction creates a slightly off-centre world in which the low-key humor sits very nicely.
Derek Elley