''Nénette and Boni'' () is a 1996 French drama film directed by

Claire Denis Claire Denis (; ; born 21 April 1946) is a French film director and screenwriter. Her feature film '' Beau Travail'' (1999) has been called one of the greatest films of the 1990s and of all time. Her work has dealt with themes of colonial and p ...

, written by Denis in collaboration with

Jean-Pol Fargeau Jean-Pol Fargeau is a French screenwriter and frequent collaborator of writer-director Claire Denis. They have made ten films together, most notably '' Chocolat'' (1988), '' Beau Travail'' (1999), and '' 35 Shots of Rum'' (2008). Career Jean-Pol ...

Plot

After the death of his mother, Boni moves his friends into her house and begins work selling pizzas. He entertains violent sexual fantasies about a baker who lives nearby. He is visited by his younger sister Nénette, whom he is estranged from, who reveals that she is pregnant and moves into his home against his wishes. Reluctantly, Boni begins to take his sister to doctor's appointments where they learn it is too late for her to have an abortion. As Boni gradually warms to the idea of being an uncle, Nénette looks into having a Jane Doe birth which will allow her to give birth anonymously and have the child adopted immediately. However, after Boni insults her for considering the option she attempts to abort the child at home, passing out before being rescued by Boni. At the hospital Nénette bans Boni from the birth of her child, but he returns later, armed with a gun, and kidnaps his nephew, bringing him home to take care of him.

Cast

Release

The film had its world premiere at the 1996

Locarno Festival The Locarno International Film Festival is a major international film festival, held annually in Locarno, Switzerland. Founded in 1946, the festival screens films in various competitive and non-competitive sections, including feature-length narr ...

. It was released in France on 29 January 1997 on 41 screens and grossed $145,920 in its opening week, opening at 14th at the French box office. The soundtrack to the film, created by

Tindersticks Tindersticks are an English alternative rock band formed in Nottingham in 1991. They released six albums before singer Stuart A. Staples embarked on a solo career. The band reunited briefly in 2006 and more permanently the following year. The ...

, was released in 1996.

Reception

Critical response

On review aggregator website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

, the film holds an approval rating of 85% based on 13 reviews, with a weighted average rating of 7.3/10. On

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

, the film has a weighted average score of 70 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...

gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, calling it "one of those movies that is saturated with sensuality but not with explicit detail." Derek Elley of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' wrote, "In a change of tack from her previous pics, Denis adopts a patchwork of styles that gives the movie an irreal, highly metaphysical flavor."

Accolades

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nenette and Boni 1996 films 1990s French-language films 1996 drama films Films directed by Claire Denis Golden Leopard winners French drama films Films set in Paris Films about abortion in France Films about siblings 1990s French films Films scored by Tindersticks French-language drama films