Director: Durga Chew-Bose
Writer: Durga Chew-Bose, Françoise Sagan
Stars: Chloë Sevigny, Lily McInerny, Claes Bang
Synopsis: Cécile’s relaxing summer with her father in the south of France is upended by the arrival of the enigmatic Anne.
Bonjour Tristesse is a weird little movie that seems out of place in today’s idiosyncratic film scene, where gender and sexual lines are blurred in a cacophony of bodies and even asexual characters dominating storylines, carving their own lane in a turbulent, more liberating time for the chance to be every multitude of sexual. It’s a very male-centric love story, a man surrounded by the three women in his life and how the lust surrounds him like a peacock in the heart of a lush, beautiful environment. Adapted from Françoise Sagan’s novel of the same name, it’s a celebration of liveliness in all its arrogance, elegance, and fragility.
It starts from a vantage point of pure aesthetics. Three rich people enjoy themselves by the French seaside, until the father, Raymond (Claes Bang), receives a letter from a mysterious stranger, Anne (Chloë Sevigny), who was a friend of his late wife. With Anne’s insertion back into their lives, Raymond, his daughter Cécile (Lily McInerny), and his lover Elsa (Nailia Harzoune), have their coexistence stirred into uncertainty by this mysterious presence.
Bonjour Tristesse is pure eye candy; there’s not a lot that bothers the Upper Class. Materialistic hardships seem outside their focal interest, yet they experience agony over heartbreaks and jealousy. The perspective is mostly from the point of view of Cécile, as the camera voyeuristically follows Anne, who engages in all womanly things in a poignant, refined manner. She resembles an ethereal figure passing through the walls of the spacious, serene house. She unifies the polar opposites of Raymond and Cécile while commanding attention with every step, moving from room to room and space to space with chilly confidence and an ice queen attitude that never fails to get her what she wants.
Director Durga Chew-Bose mentioned during a Q&A that her main focus in driving the characters is jealousy. The film references this intense emotion multiple times, making it one of the central concepts that drive the narrative forward. Raymond was jealous of the relationship his late life had with Anne. Elsa is jealous of Anne. Cécile is jealous of the developing romance between her father and Anne. Everyone is envious of everyone. It’s fantastic and delicious to watch, like a Zoomer Dangerous Liaisons, without the sex.
Chew-Bose smoothly ventures into this velvety world of slicing fruit, buttering toast, lying lazily in the sun for hours, and having breakfast in pearls. This imagery brings to mind Éric Rohmer’s gorgeous naturalistic settings with daylight and intimate production design. It also embodies the spirit of Luca Guadagnino’s Desire trilogy as Maximillian Pittner’s curious camera follows the protagonists as they go about their daily lives—neither too close nor at a great distance. The viewer will feel like a fly on the wall, watching as these people attract and repel one another, failing to get a grasp on their latent desires as they each grow into the confined spaces they create for one another.
None of this would have worked without the chameleonic Sevigny. How many times has she played a character so different from the one she portrayed before? She’s convincing as the tight-lipped, snobbish Anne, who has a tender heart but a crushing command over both her feelings and those of the people around her. Sevigny is compelling as an abusive mother, a rebel teenager, a mutant, as much as she is as Anne; the only acting standout in the entire movie. Without her, everything would have taken a turn for the worse. Unfortunately, the entire cast doesn’t match her level of acting prowess, especially Bang, who is completely out of his element here.
Bonjour Tristesse is a razzle dazzle of a film. Flawed, a bit too long, but not for the sensuality seekers. It’s a great escapist piece for the old souls.
