Elisabeth takes care of her brother Paul after he becomes injured in a snowball fight. They soon become inseparable, spending all their time together. But the relationship becomes strained as both branch out.
The film starts out as something more naturalistic and grows into something more theatrical and philosophical. The early naturalism is continually undercut by the voice over from an omniscient narrator who provides the events with a darkly whimsical and metaphysical quality (The narration is a bit excessive and gets into flights of fancy). The film is even playful in the early going, showing a loving but slightly self-destructive relationship between Elisabeth (Nicole Stephane) and Paul (Edouard Dermit). Stephane gives a fantastic performance, especially towards the film's end.
The film is a bit jumbled, filled more with vignettes than a complete throughline of a narrative. But the sibling relationship remains throughout and is fascinating. So much of the film contains such a sense of atmosphere that even minor scenes are interesting, and then this cinematography becomes ever more heightened in the film's third act. It becomes gloomy, dream-like, foreboding.
Not all of this works. Certain turns in the plot and character motivations/actions come out of nowhere. But the film at its best is wonderfully dreamy.
Grade: B
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