Bill I’s Review – 4 out of 5
This film is about the relationship between a skeletal 12-year-old, Simon (Kacey Mottet Klein, in a great, charismatic yet naturalistic performance), a theif/hustler amid the rich in a French ski resort and his beautiful, sad, older sister, Louise (Léa Seydoux, in an equally compelling performance) who can’t hold a job any longer than she can hold a man or whatever money that falls in her hands (often from young Simon). A secret is uncovered to the audience abruptly and is stunning when you think about it, making their story even more touching. There’s some funny scenes, some mostly off-screen violence, and lots of empathetic juxtaposition between two people struggling to get food to eat every day while surrounded by the well-to-do who don’t even notice them. The political aspects are powerful yet subtle, and this is not a movie that today’s teenagers will flock to, but I am confident that the readers of Billandbillmovies will appreciate this artful film.
