In fact one of the things that draws you to this new adaptation of Françoise Sagan's best seller Bonjour Tristesse, is not only its exotic setting in a Mediterranean town in the South Of France but above all else the lure of splendour - there cant be too many scenes as exciting for Thai filmmakers;restored vintage cars idling ominously outside our heroine's villa with impossible views out over sea.
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| 'Bonjour Tristesse' Courtesy of TIFF |
The maiden narrative feature by writer-director Durga Chew-Bose — its tale of teen yearning and jealousy in the throes of sexual awakening, transplanted to circa 2018 — is as beautiful a visual experience (the vivid floor tiles gleam nearly vibrantly on Titan from their colors), but it remains exciting.
Yet for a film packed with so much potential energy, once you get in there its emotional arc seems oddly level despite an A-list pairing of Claes Bang and Chloë Sevigny.
That is the basic plot that made Sagan a star when this book was published in 1954. An excruciating hole that mirrors the life of Cecile (Lily McInerny), a teen we adopt as our own since writer-director Wifek only puts us in her head. She is away with her father, Raymond (Bang) and his newest young partner Elsa (Nailia Harzoune), who likewise will be moved on just as the others have been.
Sevigny is an old school chum of the couple, and hangs around with them as high-society fashion designer Anne. Within hours of Anne and Raymond's hasty betrothal, Cecile is scheming to tear them apart so she can continue living her life as an irresponsibly free woman.
Cecile's mother was already dead years ago, and she and Raymond were indeed too intimate, but not suspiciously. Chew-Bose is wise to open her movie with Cecile and the boy who has just become interested in Miss; he's a neighbor named Cyril (Aliocha Schneider) of about that age. Cyril, whatever Cecile's daddy issues may be will not only stalk her way into his bed one night.
But she has always been an astute observer of Raymond's womanizing ways. The issue with the new version lies in the fact that the sexual freedom, which was once shocking seventy years ago, now feels outdated, both for the father and daughter. The most scandalous behavior now is the constant smoking, with adults even lighting Cecile's cigarettes for her. Unfortunately, Chew-Bose’s screenplay doesn't delve deep enough into the characters to substitute the book's startling impact with any real psychological depth.
Maximilian Pittner’s cinematography shines throughout, and Bonjour Tristesse flows smoothly. However, the performances come across as stiff, and not in a deliberately stylized manner. We've seen Bang (from The Square and Apple TV+’s Bad Sisters) be seductive and charming, even when portraying a villain.
Raymond should exude that kind of intriguing charm, yet he appears oddly lifeless. McInerny (from Hulu’s Tell Me Lies and Palm Trees and Power Lines) captures Cecile's jealousy and confusion with intensity, but the screenplay limits her to lounging in the sun and engaging in half-hearted attempts to sabotage the engagement by convincing Elsa to seduce Raymond away from Anne.
Sevigny excels in her role, partly because Anne is already so tightly controlled. With her hair pulled back in a severe twist, her prim demeanor, and her attempts to push Cecile to prepare for college entrance exams, she perfectly embodies the character. Sevigny delivers a standout moment when the camera zooms in on her face, capturing an expression of pure, heart-wrenching pain as she realizes Raymond's unfaithfulness. Yet, too often, the characters simply state their emotions without depth.
Chew-Bose, who has previously written about cinema and published the essay collection Too Much and Not in the Mood (2017), brings thoughtfulness to the screenplay, trying to add depth to Raymond and Anne’s unlikely relationship. There’s a hint that Anne and Raymond may have shared more history than anyone realizes, as Anne was once close to Raymond's late wife.
But this idea is quickly brushed aside. While it's true that Cecile, from her limited perspective, can’t fully grasp the situation, that doesn't excuse the film's overall lack of depth.
Cecile's scheming ultimately leads to the tragic consequences that bring the novel to its somber conclusion, introducing her to real sorrow. Chew-Bose makes the bold decision to extend the story beyond the novel, resulting in one of the film's strongest moments, chilling in its portrayal of the emotional aftermath of Cecile's actions. If more of this daring approach had been applied, Bonjour Tristesse might have transcended being just a beautiful picture.
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