Cast: Gregoire Colin, Marina Golovine, Francois Cluzet, Brigitte Rouan
Director: Agnieszka Holland
Producer: Marie-Laure Reyre
Screenplay: Agnieszka Holland
Cinematography: Bernard Zitzermann
Music: Zbigniew Preisner
U.S. Distributor: Sony Picture Classics
French with English Subtitles
9-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. Then, one day while running an errand for his father, Olivier disappears. Police and civilian investigations turn up nothing. Nadine (Marina Golovine) is devastated and the already-strained marriage of Olivier's parents, Serge (Francois Cluzet) and Elizabeth (Brigitte Rouan) can't weather the strain. The scene then switches to six years later in Paris, where a 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 are 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 family dynamics. Olivier's relationship with Nadine, which involves both passionate jealousy and sexual tension, forms the fulcrum around which the best aspects of the movie are developed.
Olivier Olivier takes approximately a half-hour to strike into the meat of the story, but the thirty minutes of background are crucial to appreciating what comes afterwards. 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, developing an understanding of where this story unfolds and how a child can disappear with so little trace.
As is almost always the case with French-made films that obtain United States theatrical release, the acting is superb. All four leads play their roles flawlessly. Perhaps the most difficult and convincing task is given to Marina Golovine as Nadine, 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. Gregoire Colin retains an air of mystery around Olivier that keeps us guessing about his identity and motives.
Olivier Olivier is not 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, director/writer Agnieszka Holland has crafted a powerful, effective film that surpasses Europa Europa, her well-received previous effort. Where that movie occasionally sputtered, this one sails through to a memorable conclusion.
© 1993 James Berardinelli