We got to see Bonjour Tristesse, which opens in cinemas on May 2, early, and it’s the perfect film for our delulu attitude with the semi-printanier weather we’re having in Montreal right now…
Now we want to collect seashells, play cards and read poetry in the sun – and possibly live in blissful ignorance of the world’s cruelty for as long as possible this summer.
No need to hang around the set for an injection of France, because this film, based on the book of the same name by the iconic Françoise Sagan, is an injection of French dolce vita on the French Riviera – with a healthy dose of cruelty and poetry that leaves a bittersweet taste in the mouth.
Through vignettes reminiscent of the Nouvelle Vague and paying homage to the summer of the rich in the South of France, with all its violent sweetness and delicious selfishness, director Durga Chew-Bose ‘s film puts us in the mood for a slightly murderous summer.
The film’s format, and cutaways that offer iconic Southern vistas; the fruit, the sun flakes, the pebble beach is a very successful homage to 60s cinema – and the film is incredibly sensory, like a summer where we’d put down our phone to simply enjoy the sun on our face.
It’s the story of Cécile (Lily McInerny) and her father Raymond (Claes Bang), dilettantes and refined in their intense relaxation, who spend the perfect summer in the South – until the arrival of an old friend of Raymond’s, the serious and enigmatic Anne (Chloë Sevigny).
Between nectarines chewed with abandon on the terrace of a stone-built villa, sunlight filtering through the branches of umbrella pines, long silences, fiery kisses between Cécile and Cyril (Aliocha Schneider, our favorite Montreal heartthrob ), cigarettes and Felicità, it’s a sweet summer of adolescent cruelty to be seen for a date or as a gift.
The film opens in Montreal theaters this Friday, May 2 !
Enjoy!