OLIVIER OLIVIER
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1993 James Berardinelli
Date Released: varies Running Length: 1:48 Rated: R (Nudity, sexual situations, mature themes)
Starring: Gregoire Colin, Marina Golovine, Francois Cluzet,
Brigitte Rouan
Director: Agnieszka Holland
Producer: Marie-Laure Reyre
Screenplay: Agnieszka Holland
Music: Zbigniew Preisner
Released by Sony Picture Classics
French with English Subtitles
Nine-year old Olivier is what his mother describes as a "delicate child." His relationship with his older sister Nadine is somewhat tempestuous. The two enjoy playing together, and there is genuine affection between them, but Nadine is jealous of all the attention that Olivier gets from their mother. It's obvious to both children who the favorite is. Tension is present in the marriage Olivier's parents Serge (Francois Cluzet) and Elizabeth (Brigitte Rouan), one of the causes of which is Elizabeth's babying of Olivier. Then, one day while running an errand for his father, Olivier disappears. Police and civilian investigations turns up nothing. Nadine is devastated and the marriage of Serge and Elizabeth can't weather the strain. The scene then switches to six years later in Paris, where a young boy claiming to be Olivier (Gregoire Colin) and knowing a lot about his life and family, appears.
In many ways, the central story of OLIVIER OLIVIER is a cross between the French film THE RETURN OF MARTIN GUERRE and the Josephine Tey novel BRAT FERRAR. Both deal about the re-appearance of someone believed dead. However, where BRAT FERRAR and MARTIN GUERRE focus primarily on questions of identity, OLIVIER OLIVIER is more concerned with the dynamics of a family.
That's not to say that the mystery in OLIVIER OLIVIER is any less intriguing or satisfying than that in the other two stories. Indeed, many of the elements that make MARTIN GUERRE so beguiling are present here. We may suspect the truth early on, but it isn't until the last few scenes when we find out for sure. The ultimate resolution of OLIVIER OLIVIER's mysteries is satisfying.
The movie takes approximately a half-hour to strike into the meat of the story, but it is thirty minutes well-spent. We are given an opportunity to get to know the characters in all their complexity. Great care is also taken in making the setting real. We are given a sense of where this film takes place and how it is that a child can disappear with so little trace.
The dynamics of the family, both before and after Olivier's disappearance, are fascinating--as well as genuine. Of special interest is the love/hate relationship between Olivier and his sister, and the way that Nadine's often-extreme jealousy works into the mix. Of all the interaction in the movie, that between these two stands out.
As is almost always the case with French-made films that reach screens in the United States, the acting is superb. All four leads play their roles flawlessly. Perhaps the most difficult and convincing task is given to Marina Golovine, and she carries it off with aplomb. Brigitte Rouan's Elizabeth is in some ways reminiscent of Susan Sarandon's character in LORENZO'S OIL.
OLIVIER OLIVIER is not a film without problems. There are some unanswered questions that nag at the viewer's mind and the eerie, mystical powers attributed to Nadine serve little purpose. The story could have been as strong--if not stronger--without them.
Overall, however, this is a powerful and effective film that works equally well as a drama and a mystery. It's pace is slow, but it is never dull. Director/writer Agnieszka Holland has crafted a film that is heads-and-shoulders above EUROPA EUROPA, her well-received, but melodramatic, previous effort. Where that movie occasionally sputtered, this one sails through clearly to a memorable conclusion.
Rating: 9.3 (A, ***1/2)
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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