Bonjour Tristesse

Plot

Cecile is a decadent young girl who lives the lush life with her rich playboy father Raymond, a widower. When Anne, Raymond's old love interest, comes to Raymond's villa for a visit and gets more and more comfortable there, Cecile is afraid that her lifestyle will be altered, and sets out to make sure that it isn't.

Why watch

Cecile, a young girl accustomed to a life of luxury, finds her carefree existence threatened by the arrival of Anne, her father's former lover. As she schemes to maintain her lifestyle, the film immerses viewers in a world of emotional complexity and moral ambiguity. Watching it feels like drifting through a sunlit dream, where the beauty of the surroundings contrasts sharply with the darker undercurrents of desire and manipulation.

Talking points

• the impact of parental relationships on identity
• the ethics of manipulation in love
• the consequences of privilege
• the nature of nostalgia

Cultural context

If you liked this