Chloë Sevigny talks indie films, new movie Bonjour Tristesse
Over a career spanning 30 years, Chloë Sevigny has defined herself as a champion of independent film. Witness a short list of notable movies: Kids (1995); Boys Don't Cry (1999); The Brown Bunny (2004); Broken Flowers (2005); and Beatriz at Dinner (2017).
Her newest, the limited release Bonjour Tristesse, likewise proves that small can be beautiful. From writer-director Durga Chew-Bose, it's based on Françoise Sagan's 1954 novel of the same name. Another film adaptation was released in 1958, starring Deborah Kerr and Jean Seberg.
The new movie is set on the French seaside. Teenager Cécile (Lily McInerny), her father (Claes Bang) and his girlfriend (Naïlia Harzoune) are spending languid summer days captured with suitable sun-washed cinematography.
But things change when Sevigny's character, longtime family friend Anne, arrives. She's quite literally a buttoned-up fashion designer, wearing a crisp white shirt, pearl earrings and a tidy updo. Feeling threatened, Cécile devises a plan to drive Anne away. But she doesn't expect what happens next.
Sevigny spoke to Postmedia about Bonjour Tristesse, her love of independent film, and the idea of joining a blockbuster franchise like Marvel.
Q: What do you think this story says about women's relationships?
A: Cécile is growing into womanhood, but she doesn't quite understand it yet. And she's very threatened by this woman coming into her life. I was thinking a lot about my mother and how she would be lovingly critical in the way that she just wants me to have the opportunities that are available to me, to take full advantage of them. How she comes from a different generation, and what she deems as a way of getting something that one would want. So I think it's more interesting, this kind of generational relationship.
Q: In this movie, Anne over-parents Cécile. But I remember you in Kids — your character there was very under-parented. How do you think the teenage years then compare to now?
A: It's funny when people say that about Jenny from Kids, because I always imagined her as a girl who went to (a private school) and had a really good family. I think it's because you don't see her household, and in New York at that time there were kids from different upbringings coming together.
But how things have changed? I imagine social media and all of that is rather challenging. Even for me it's hard, as far as comparing and despairing. I find the immediacy with which we have to respond to people — vis-a-vis texting or emailing or all these other ways we talk — quite stressful. So I think it's harder to just be in the moment.
Q: What draws you to independent films?
A: They're just the opportunities that have come my way. I'm just looking for distinct voices, original voices, something new. To me this felt like a (Éric) Rohmer film or a (Pedro) Almodóvar film. I felt this was like a foreign film written in the English language, which I don't come across often. Also, this character is something that I haven't played often. I thought Durg was a really interesting new voice in movies, and I just wanted to be there to help support her.
Q: Would you consider joining a franchise like Marvel?
A: Oh, I would love to do that.
Q: What do you have in mind?
A: I'm trying to think of what my son is into. He's into all these superhero movies and Mario Bros. and Frozen. I like all these new live-action movies. Like, the new Lilo & Stitch, I'm excited for. I think all the new Star Wars stuff is exciting. I thought The Mandalorian was great.
Q: I read that you were approached for a role in Legally Blonde — is that true?
A: I think I might have auditioned for the Selma Blair part. And I think they were interested in me for it, but I don't know why it didn't happen. There were a lot of those movies being made in the '90s, those more poppy teen films. And I was already on this indie trajectory.
I think that now people look back and see it was a real divide. Like, why didn't she do more mainstream movies? And I don't know. I guess I didn't think that was something for me at that time. Now I look back, and I'm like, 'Oh, those movies were fun. I could have done them.'
Q: What do you do when you're not working?
A: My kid is turning five next week, so whenever I'm not working, I spend a lot of time with him. After school, we go to the local playground and we have a really nice community. Yesterday there was a whole gang of us over there just hanging out with our kids.
It's just nice having a community of like-minded parents and being able to walk to the corner and get something to eat and somebody else watches your kid. We're so lucky to have that, so I like to develop those relationships.
This interview was edited for length and clarity. Bonjour Tristesse is now in theatres and will be available to rent on June 13.
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