There’s something about a lazy holiday. Lounging around on long afternoons and warm nights make for easy days. It’s easy to get lost in these moments, especially for the 17-year-old just starting to figure out their individual wants and desires. There’s freedom but also a touch of melancholy in these times, as they are among the best we may have — but, as all things are, they’re destined to end.
On the idyllic south coast of France, Bonjour Tristesse finds Cecile (Lily McInerny), a 17-year-old on vacation with her father Raymond (Claes Bang) and his girlfriend Elsa (Naïlia Harzoune) enjoying a holiday such as this. They are a unique family unit — Raymond and Cecile are very close, so close that Raymond treats her perhaps more as a friend than a daughter, and while Elsa is a welcome member, she’s also not Cecile’s mother.
Cecile spends her days chilling, spending time with a local boy and neglecting her summer homework. Her father is disinterested in discipline, but seemingly because he’s been able to coast through his life; as a result, he’d rather dote on and spoil his daughter.
All this is upended by the arrival of Anne (Chloë Sevigny), a close friend of Cecile’s late mother and Raymond. Anne, a fashion designer, is everything that they are not: focused, driven and stern. Anne isn’t malicious but knows her mind and isn’t afraid to speak it, and Cecile begins to chafe under new, competing attentions.
Link: https://exclaim.ca/film/article/viff-2024-bonjour-tristesse-film-review
VIFF 2024: ‘Bonjour Tristesse’ Says Hello to a New Canadian Talent | Exclaim!
