Le Chignon D Olga

Here's a film that should appeal to Rohmer fans. It's about a young guy who falls for and keeps thinking about a pretty bookshop assistant, though he has a comfortable... more >

Here's a film that should appeal to Rohmer fans. It's about a young guy who falls for and keeps thinking about a pretty bookshop assistant, though he has a comfortable close friendship with a female tap-dancer who has relationship troubles of her own. We learn he's given up playing the piano, while his sister's inclined to be moody and tearful, and his affable dad, a writer whose latest book has had the editor's thumbs down as less charming than usual, enjoys watching Chaplin's The Circus and has a married admirer...

So much for the plot basics. It's so full of (light) Rohmeresque and touches it's virtually a homage. There's the title - Olga's knot of hair - which recalls Claire's Knee, as does an early step-ladder scene; the svelte youthful protagonists; the natural performances; deftly handled details, incidents, infidelities and misunderstandings; unobtrusive colour schemes; meaningful glances and delicate warm sensuality. Even the central character's hair - which is given a short scene of its own- may be a reference to Rohmer's A Summer's Tale...

And yet, rather than feeling artificial or derivative, it still convinces as a sensitive, sincere, pleasing and promising debut from director Bonnell.


Next stop/ see also:

Claire's Knee (Rohmer), The Green Ray (Rohmer), Chacun Cherche son Chat (Klapisch), The Dream Life of Angels (Zonca). < less

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DVD Extras

• Interview with Jerome Bonnell
• Trailer
• Cast & Crew filmographies.

Film Details

Cast

Hubert Benhamdine, Nathalie Boutefeu

Technical Details