Thursday 22 August 2013

It's many, many years since I read Bonjour Tristesse when I was a student, very taken with the idea of international best-sellers written by 18-year-old authors.
I don't recall that I particularly enjoyed it as a novel and I'd never seen the 1958 film until this morning.
I do enjoy the illicit treat of going to the cinema in the afternoon, but it seems even naughtier clutching your first cup of coffee in the morning when you haven't done any work at all.
From the first shots of monochrome Paris and Jean Seberg's pixie-crop haircut and fabulous LBD by Givenchy, I knew I was absolutely going to love every minute. Diamonds by Cartier, handbags by Hermès, Juliette Greco ...
And then glorious Technicolor on the Riviera with decadent David Niven in short-shorts and a highly inappropriate relationship with his 17-year-old daughter. Not to mention the much younger girlfriend who gets dropped 'like a hot lobster' when her lobster-red sunburn starts peeling, then returns with an all-over tan to break Deborah Kerr's heart.
Louche, luscious and irresistible.

2 comments:

StuckInABook said...

I did like the novel (and then hated the other one I read by her, whatever it was called) and it would make a great film in the right hands. I'll keep an eye out for this version!

mary said...

I read another The Still Storm and don't think I cared for it much - can't really remember, to be honest, so I can't have been impressed! Hope you enjoy the film, Simon.