Jean Seberg

"Bonjour Tristesse" is a beautiful, if melodramatic, film from Otto Preminger, 1958, starring the incredible Jean Seberg ("Breathless") as a sort of female James Dean - angsty, constantly pacing, constantly creating trouble for any adults who dare interfere with her lying around and doing whatever she pleases. The film is a moral tale that reminded me of "Pauline at the Beach" by Eric Rohmer, maybe just because of the beachside setting, or maybe because of the creepy, completely inappropriate relationships shared between teenage girls and older men in both films.

In general, people seem to hate the film (it's rated 6.4 on IMDB), but I loved it for a few simple reasons:

1) A cautionary tale of alcoholism, casual sex, and hedonistic pursuits among the upper-classes, it may as well be called "Bonjour Gatsby." And anything that involves the alcohol-soaked demise of wealthy people is - how do you say? - "My shit."

2) Two words: Jean Seberg. Look at this amazing haircut. *Paws at computer screen, roaring like tiger*

3) Technicolor has never been more beautiful. And this is coming from a Douglas Sirk fan. In fact, if you like Douglas Sirk, run (don't walk) to your Netflix account and qeue this shit up. Better yet, get totally drunk and drive your car off of the nearest seaside cliff, and LAND in your Netflix qeue.

Delirious...must...sleep.