A year after his mother's death, teenager Julien (Hubert Benhamdine) has lost all interest in his one-time passion, the piano. Drifting through the summer holiday in his sleepy Loire Valley town, he hangs out with his tap-dancing best friend Alice (Nathalie Boutefeu), whilst yearning for Olga (Delphine Rollin), a beautiful bookshop assistant whose hair is tied in a chignon (knotted) style.
At home, Julien's writer dad Gilles (Serge Riaboukine) is struggling with his writing and with the possibility of new relationships. Julien's younger sister Emma (Florence Loiret), meanwhile, finds herself adopting a maternal role and trying to cope with her own adolescent sexual confusion.
An accomplished directorial debut from Jérôme Bonnell - who was just 23 at the time of shooting - this provincial ensemble drama explores how grief emerges in unexpected ways in everyday life, and how hard it can be for bereaved family members to genuinely communicate with one another.
Bonnell weaves together his various storylines with a pleasingly light rather than sombre touch, and allows for a degree of humour: particularly amusing are Julien's efforts to woo Olga, especially his botched attempt to act as her noble rescuer.
In terms of both its style and content, and even in its title, "Le Chignon D'Olga" is clearly indebted to the intimate dramas of veteran French director Eric Rohmer, but it's more than a mere homage. The engaging performances, the evocative sense of place, the relaxed storytelling, and the unexpected conclusion all suggest that Bonnell is a talent in his own right.
In French with English subtitles.
Le Chignon D'Olga (Olga's Chignon) (2003)
