Bonjour Tristesse - 8/10
There's something a little off about the film, but on the whole I found it a pretty intersting and fun time with a strong summer theme. Although the story is set up as a sort of existentialist reminiscence of a summer, the observations and ruminations are mostly superficial, perhaps appropriate given the lead character's age and diposition but still it left me hoping for more. The use of colour and black and white to separate timelines works appropriately, meshing with the tones of a freespirited summer and a melancholy following year. The build up is slow and mysterious and there comes a point where you forget you're watching a flashback and then everything clicks. That build up and the ensuing revelations are the best part of the film, giving gravitas to the set up that for most of the film gets lost in a lighthearted summer romance film.
One other thing I want to note is the performances which seemed to me consistently inconsistent. The chemistry between the performers is quite strong and the writing is sharp, but the two didn't seem to come together very well. Only Kerr managed to not give stilted deliveries.