Le Chignon d'Olga

This impressive directing debut from French filmmaker Jérôme Bonnell (who was 23 when the film was shot) revolves around a teenager named Julien (Hubert Benhamdine), who lost interest in life after his mother passed away. During a summer holiday in a sleepy rural town, he finds himself falling for Olga (Delphine Rollin), a beautiful bookshop employee. While Julien experiences the first pangs of love, his younger sister Emma, who has been the surrogate female head-of-the-house since the death of their mother, deals with her own sexually-charged issues, and the pair's widower father considers looking for a new soul mate. The leisurely flow of the storylines and the refreshing absence of “big scenes” make this a quiet but powerful examination of love, loss, coming-of-age, and gaining wisdom through trial and error. Benhamdine and Rollin are particularly effective—his gawky, earnest demeanor and her not-so-older-woman (both emotionally and physically) are realistically portrayed. A beautifully resonant film, this is highly recommended. (P. Hall)