Directed by: Durga Chew-Bose
Written by: Durga Chew-Bose, based on Francoise Sagan’s book
Starring: Lily McInerny, Chloe Sevigny, Nailia Harzoune, Aliocha Schneider, and Claes Bang
Runtime: 110 minutes
‘Bonjour Tristesse’ isn’t as satisfying as the 1958 original, but say ‘Hello’ to this reflective psychological drama
“Everything is about listening.” – Elsa (Nailia Harune)
Elsa takes an opulent summer holiday with her boyfriend, Raymond (Claes Bang), in the south of France on a sizable seaside estate (filmed in Cassis, just 30 kilometers from Marseille). They and Raymond’s 18-year-old daughter, Cecile (Lily McInerny), spend their days lounging in the sun or contemplating when to butter their next slice of toast or pour a cup of tea or glass of wine.
Elsa and Cecile share a warm, respectful relationship and friendship, and Cecile listens to Elsa’s comment, as noted above. However, director Durga Chew-Bose’s debut feature film “Bonjour Tristesse”, translated into English as “Hello, Sadness”, is also defined with non-verbal cues, in addition to the spoken word, especially with the sudden arrival of Anne (Chloe Sevigny).
Anne makes a 6-hour drive from Paris at Raymond’s request. His longtime friend, a successful fashion designer, draws upon some time at Chateau Raymond. With three women vying for the attention of one man, Chew-Bose introduces a troubling, competitive atmosphere in paradise.
With a 110-minute runtime primarily (but not entirely) in one location – the domicile, surrounding grounds, and the scenic coastline - Chew-Bose, who also wrote the screenplay, fashions a leisurely pace where Cecile, Elsa, and Anne subtlety calibrate their bearings in relation to one another and, ultimately, with Raymond.
Cordial conversations – emanating from the three women - primarily rule the days and evenings but with frequent undertows of deliberate arrangements to leverage position, especially from Anne. On other occasions, Chew-Bose choreographs crowded spaces in this massive home, including when Anne and Elsa share the same patio chair.
Even though Cecile and her summer fling, a young man named Cyril (Aliocha Schneider), share some romance, the story is primarily a psychological drama. Elsa and Anne contest for Raymond’s affections but under polite, gracious circumstances, while Cecile wonders about her fate between congenial Elsa and pragmatic, parental Anne.
Elsa is a stunning French beauty who could be mistaken for Cecile’s mother. The French national is younger and more carefree than Anne. Still, this American expatriate and Raymond share a history, so they both wield influence over Cecile’s father, a wealthy, untroubled widower who seems to always live in the moment.
Chew-Bose revels in the surrounding scenic beauty as an ever-present character, with fabulous shots of the inviting Mediterranean Sea, spectacular cliffs, and gentle, winding pathways not designed for punctuality for their human travelers. In addition, she (or someone on her team) chose peppy, snappy music choices – like “Come Softly to Me” by The Roches and “Felicita” by Al Bano - when our leading players step out to mingle in town.
Durga relaxes the audience in the lap of luxury while initiating conflict with regal formalities, but casual, loose pacing might wane interest for moviegoers at times, as wishes for the promised emotional struggles to finally appear at this particular spot in Cassis, France. While mesmerized by the exquisite backdrop of nature, patience is tested with simultaneous thoughts of the human co-stars delivering skilled performances but standing in place instead of moving the plot forward.
This 2024 film is a remake of director Otto Preminger’s “Bonjour Tristesse” (1958) starring David Niven, Deborah Kerr, Mylene Demongeot, and Jean Seberg, based on Francoise Sagan’s 1954 book. Both movies follow the same narrative, but the 1958 flick, at just 94 minutes, is a more satisfying, more palpable film, especially with Cecile (Seberg) narrating and reminiscing in Paris about that fateful summer one year before on the coast.
Still, Chew-Bose’s adaptation carries on (almost) entirely in the here and now with an affecting message, but it’s probably best to watch the 1958 movie first. Then, absorb this 21st-century coming-of-age chronicle, which devotes more time to the surrounding backdrop and lingers on the everyday complexities of those listening, watching, and enacting under one roof.
Jeff’s ranking
2.5/4 stars
