By Louise McLeod Tabouis.
‘Buttercup Bill’, written and directed by Rémy Bennett & Emilie Richard-Froozan is a melancholic reflection on looking back.
After the death of childhood-friend Flora, cynical, besotted and tarnished Pernilla, is haunted by the memories she has from growing up with her neighbours, Patrick and now-dead Flora.
After years of Patrick-imposed no contact, Penilla arrives at his house to declare, “Everyone’s a waste”. Patrick’s response? “You should grow the fuck up”. This sets the tone of the film. Now living in the middle of sweaty, sunny nowhere, he seems to be either working out who he is or running from what he was, far from the people who think they know him. His disconcerting ambivalence towards adoring Pernilla maintains the tension. The question is, is he free of the rot, or longing for more?
The film is an intriguing portrayal of a changing relationship in the space between adolescence and adulthood. Great soundtrack, pervasive, appropriate, dominating and rich, with well-created scenes and design. If you’ve ever had a long-term friendship that is in arrested development you’ll empathise with this film. A good portrayal of people who want to understand each other, but don’t.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.