Olivier, Olivier

Now this is a truly wonderful film. It's simple enough: one day, a young boy goes missing from his family. Several years later, he returns - or does he?

This movie is a flawless dissection of a frighteningly twisted family, with extremely vivid characters. Agnieszka Holland has succeeded at that difficult task: create realistic characters in a believable situation, yet present them with shockingly eerie dilemma. Strongly recommended.

Side note: the only flaw in this movie was the rather ridiculous invocation of the supernatural. Fortunately, it's part of an almost completely irrelevant subplot, and can be safely ignored.

A nine-year-old boy disappears without a trace. Six years later, he reappears in Paris but there are doubts about his real identity. The film entered the competition at the 49th Venice International Film Festival and won an award at the 1992 Valladolid International Film Festival.

I don't really have much to say about this film. Having now seen about half of the director's work, I would not go so far as to say I am a fan. Some of it, like "Angry Harvest", I thought was really good. But then we have this film, which never really held my attention. Some of the early scenes are good with the children interacting, but it becomes much less interesting once Olivier (if that is really him) appears as an adult.

"... Holland is 'one of the great film makers in telling a story, unlike so many Europeans who emphasize character. The American public takes to a film where a story is told well'" (Film Quarterly: Vol.52, No.2, Winter 1998-9, pg3).

This comment, made by Orion's Michael Barker, is not far off the mark--at least with respect to Holland's film: "Olivier, Olivier" (1992). Despite the plot's non-fictional premise--the idea for the film, in fact, is based on a French newspaper item from the early 1980s--Agniezca Holland's ability in fully capturing the truly bizarre nature of this story leaves viewers wondering if she, in making the film, could actually have been working from real-life experiences. Holland lays the storyline out in a traditional, chronological manner but makes sure to jump ahead several years at a time, where necessary, to retain her audience's attention. I am American and I did 'take to' this film. In this sense, Michael Barker is absolutely correct. However, I imagine anyone would enjoy a story as well told as Holland tells this one.

Highly recommended.

The thing about a film like "Olivier, Olivier" is how cold and distant the characters are directly influences the warmth of the film itself. This is a very distant, harsh story at times, filled with characters constantly at odds with one another. No one has a healthy, balanced relationship. Unlike Agnieszka Holland's next film, "The Secret Garden", the underlying beauties are greatly crushed beneath the weight of ugly attitudes. There's no redemption to be found, only emotional pain. That does not make this a bad film, only an exceedingly difficult one.

Love is always an illusion in "Olivier, Olivier". The only time it is at all real is in the early scenes of Nadine's and Olivier's childhood. From there on, guilt and possessiveness take over. In a frighteningly powerful way, everyone is, in turn, exposed for each of their darkest sides. The acting is great, there's no denying that. But it's far too narrowly focused. The cinematography is nice, but given virtually no breathing room. Scene after scene is the intense focus of faces and mid-range close-ups. Sometimes it feels like we never really get to see what's going on around these people. Then again, neither do they. Their world is excessively insular, incestuous, sealed in and circular.

There's a strange turn of events toward the last third of the film. A spiritual aspect is introduced briefly that has little forewarning and less explanation. I wouldn't normally be opposed to this inclusion, save for the fact that it has no real context or purpose in a straightforward drama. It feels ill-conceived and quite unbelievable.

In the end, most of the original questions are answered. Anyone who was watching could quite easily have pieced it together, but it is somewhat gratifying to see it resolved. A lot of people have praised this film as a stunning achievement. In a few ways, this can be true. But at the heart of "Olivier, Olivier", you are left with a somewhat dull, incompletely realized film. There are depths, both visual and emotional, that Agnieszka Holland doesn't nearly reach. It is a genuinely good film - but quite far away from being an excellent one.

I recorded most of movie on VHS many years ago, and have just bought a used DVD from USA.

I wish to warn viewers, that a full 17 minutes is omitted on DVD, near the films end.

From point where the older Olivier returns home finding Serge delving in the garage, asking for help to sort out mess, to the point where Olivier drives on his motorbike to the little house and gives Marcel his just deserts, full 17 minutes omitted on DVD .

THIS IS THE HEART OF THE MOVIE

Will try to relate what is missing on DVD :-

Father Serge in Garage, finds old bottle of Calvados; he and Olivier consume it all getting drunk. They accuse each in turn of running away from home.

When they rejoin the two women, man and boy are in a bad way, Olivier singing 'House of the Rising Sun'.

Wife takes Serge to bed nursing his hangover

Later mother relates to Nadine what happened out shopping. Surrounded by lady shoppers, Gossip questing about return of husband and son. Newspaper reports true relative Olivier ? (Implication rent boy).

Nadine finds Olivier in bed crying. She joins him. Olivier produces sisters questionnaire board and supplies Nadine, with all the correct answers.

Then Olivier half dressed, enters Nadine's bedroom; she in turn is crying. He joins her in bed, he is cold and lonely. Nadine questions him again about Paris. He explains that his life has been in a series of railway station, his orphanages.

She draws him closer and then they have sex.

(Viewers wondering is this incest)?

Later Nadine becomes utterly convinced that Olivier is her brother and rushes to tell father Serge what she has seen and heard outside the house

At this point, we rejoin the DVD near the film's end, Olivier sorting out Marcel.

I think it criminal that heart of the film omitted on DVD.

olivier olivier is a very fine film, ruined in the DVD version. Buy the VHS and enjoy !

Sincerely, Michael Darlow.