Nenette and Boni [Widescreen] [NTSC]

Set among Marseilles’ working class, Claire Denis’ “Nenette and Boni” is a coming-of-age film about a brother and sister who learn to make peace, forming a meaningful relationship out of dire circumstances. Nineteen year-old Boni finds release from his ennui with erotic writings - obsessive detailed accounts of his desires for a married woman. Boni is perturbed by the arrival of his little sister, Nenette, a teenager who is pregnant and in need of his support. Nenette and Boni have been estranged since the divorce of their parents, having lived separately for many years, and their reunion is fraught and even violent, filtered through the pain of their parents’ relationship. As the pregnancy continues Boni becomes increasingly engaged by the idea of the baby, whilst Nenette remains hostile to the idea of motherhood. This film contains some sublimely textural moments focusing on the patterns of the ordinary, cast as beautiful visions that contrast to the drab surrounds of the protagonists’ milieu, even if Denis does at times fail to provide expositional detail that explains the characters’ emotional journey. Winner of top honours at the 1996 Locarno Film Festival and atmospherically scored by the Tindersticks. Cast includes Gregoire Colin, Alice Houri, Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi, Vincent Gallo and Jacques Nollot. In French with English subtitles.