The latest adaptation ofBonjour Tristesse, based on Françoise Sagan’s beloved yet controversial 1954 novel, had a shining premiere at theToronto International Film Festivalon September 5. Written when Sagan was a mere 18 years of age, the book follows young Cécile (Lily McInerny), who is visiting the French seaside with her father Raymond (Claes Bang) and his nearly-as-young-as-Cécile girlfriend Elsa (Naïlia Harzoune). In the midst of her potential romance with a village boy (Aliocha Schneider), Cécile’s world is upended when she receives a visit from her late mother’s friend Anne (Chloë Sevigny).
Bonjour Tristesseserves as writer-director Durga Chew-Bose’s feature film debut, and her modern take on the classic story adds new layers to bring the audience closer to the material. It is also a potentially star-making turn for McInerny, who is a new face in the industry that first appeared in Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” music video. Since then, she has starred in 2022’sPalm Trees And Power Linesand played the guest-starring role of Macy inTell Me Liesseason 1.
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Screen Rantinterviewed several stars at the red carpet premiere ofBonjour Tristesseat the Toronto International Film Festival, and every single one praised filmmaker Durga Chew-Bose’s clear-eyed vision. McInerny also gave some interesting insight into what she learned from working alongside perennial It girl Chloë Sevigny, while Bang had a disappointing response to apotentialBad Sistersreturn.
Lily McInerny Recalls Stepping Onto The Bonjour Tristesse Set With Chloë Sevigny
“She’s a huge role model and inspiration to me, and getting to act alongside her [was] just a dream come true.”
Screen Rant: How wasBonjour Tristessefirst presented to you, this script, and what excited you most about this adaptation?
Lily McInerny: Well, I hadn’t actually read the novel until after I had been attached to the film. Otherwise, I think I would’ve been so nervous, I probably couldn’t have accepted. I don’t know, I would’ve just been shaking in my boots.
But I very shortly read it immediately upon hearing about the film and fell in love. And now it’s become a very important part of my life, not just my career.
Screen Rant: We’ve got a really fascinating father-daughter relationship, but also several women interacting with each other in varying ways. Can you talk about getting to work with the lovely ladies of this film?
Lily McInerny: Yeah, that was definitely a highlight. I’ve looked up to Chloë [Sevigny] for so long. She’s a huge role model and inspiration to me, and getting to act alongside her to watch her process as well as be involved in it as a participant collaborating with her was just a dream come true.
Screen Rant: It’s also Durga'’s feature film directorial debut. What was most interesting to you about her vision and collaborating with her? I
Lily McInerny: I think Durga has such an incredible way of communicating so much through visual metaphor and in such subtle, sometimes unspoken ways. We spoke a lot about the internal world of Cécile and how we were able to communicate that on screen, and that was one of the most exciting parts about working with Durga for me, as well as being an incredible human being. The tone on set was always really lovely and inspiring.
Claes Bang Teases The Father-Daughter Drama At The Heart Of Bonjour Tristesse
“They have a very interesting bond and a very weird kind of relationship.”
Screen Rant: What can you tell me about your character and what drew you to the project?
Claes Bang: I thought what was really interesting about this thing was not so much the character itself. It was more sort of the relationship with the father and the daughter, which is what made me want to do it. Because I think they have a very interesting bond and a very weird kind of relationship. That was it.
Screen Rant: Can you tell me about how the family relationship plays out in the film, especially with your girlfriend and your wife’s family friend involved?
Claes Bang: It’s like [Raymond and Cécile] have this thing where they’ve gotten really close. The mother dies when the daughter’s quite young, and therefore they become very close, but perhaps in a too-close way. So, when other people are in there, it gets muddled.
Screen Rant:Bonjour Tristesseis Durga’s feature film debut. What was it about her vision that interested you most?
Claes Bang: It was the father-daughter relationship that interested me here, so that was sort of what drew me into it. I thought because she has modernized that, it’s not what it is in the book. The book is from the fifties, and you can sense that it’s more your old school kind of father-daughter [bond], and here she’s definitely modernized.
Screen Rant: Finally, you killed it in Bad Sisters season 1. With season 2 coming soon, but will you be haunting the Garvey girls in any way?
Claes Bang: I don’t so, no. I don’t think I will.
Aliocha Schneider Credits Bonjour Tristesse Director With Expanding His Character
That’s good because, as Schneider explains, “My character in the book is not the deepest character.”
Screen Rant: What can you tell me about your character and what excited you aboutBonjour Tristesse?
Aliocha Schneider: Meeting Durga was quite something. She’s an amazing human being, and she was so open because my character in the book is not the deepest character. Durga was just open to any ideas, and she listened to them and was herself full of ideas, so it was a real playground. That was very nice, and it was amazing casting, of course.
The story really touched me when I was a teenager. I don’t know how it did in the rest of the world, but in France and for Francophone, it’s so important and reaches a lot of teenagers. It has for 60 years.
Screen Rant: How do you feel this adaptation evolved your relationship with Cécile?
Aliocha Schneider: We didn’t want to take an exact picture of the novel. It’s Durga vision of the story, but the relationship happened, and I think something really true is on screen.
[Her vision as the director] was so clear, and it is funny because she’s a writer, so it’s not obvious. But her aesthetic is so strong, so precise. That was really impressive, especially for a first feature.
Source:Screen Rant Plus
More About Bonjour Tristesse (2024)
At the height of the summer holiday, 18-year-old Cécile (Lily McInerny), the apple of everyone’s eye, is languishing at the French seaside with her devilishly handsome father Raymond (Claes Bang) and his bohemian lover Elsa (Naïlia Harzoune), whose age is not far from Cécile’s. Other than tending to a budding romance with a local boy (Aliocha Schneider), Cécile has all the time in the world to float and daydream, giving her a front row seat to Apéro-laden adult conversations free of morality. Building her sandcastle just as the tide rolls in, her postcard-perfect world is threatened when a visit from her late mother’s friend Anne (Chloë Sevigny) — a celebrated American-born, Paris-based fashion designer who fits the scene like a glove — casts a shadow over Cécile’s quotidian belle vie, despite her longing to connect.
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Bonjour Tristessepremiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 5 and is currently seeking U.S. distribution.
