Bonnell explores film noir and search for identity in The Queen of Clubs

13/01/2010

Trying his hand at a thriller in order to give new direction to the intimate cinema of which he is so fond, Jérôme Bonnell releases The Queen of Clubs [+see also:
trailer
film profile] in French theatres today (Le Pacte on 58 screens).

With four features to his name, the 32-year-old director of Olga’s Chignon (2002), Pale Eyes [+see also:
film review
interview: Jérôme Bonnell
interview: Nathalie Boutefeu
film profile] and Waiting for Someone [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (2007) continues to develop his style, watched closely by critics. The latter are particularly impressed by the cast of his new work, which stars Malik Zidi and Florence Loiret-Caille, alongside Marc Barbé, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Nathalie Boutefeu and Marc Citti.

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Described by the director as "a quirky reinterpretation of Hansel and Gretel", The Queen of Clubs centres on a brother and sister, who have never managed to part ways and are drawn into a spiral of violence.

"I really wanted to try a new form, to explore unknown territory. But I soon realised that this desire for departure and playfulness, which was a little abstract, was just an excuse for describing characters," insists Bonnell. "I certainly didn’t want to overdo the psycho-sociological context, or reduce the characters to victims of their condition. The main element, in my opinion, is the bond between brother and sister. It is the central focus of the film. It demonstrates a search for identity which, in my opinion, resonates with our generation".

The Queen of Clubs was produced by Gloria Films for €2.52m. The budget included co-production support from Octave Films, an advance on receipts from the National Film and Moving Image Centre (CNC), backing from the Ile-de-France region and pre-sales from Canal + and Ciné Cinéma.

Among the nine other new releases hitting screens this Wednesday is Jaco Van Dormael’s French/German/Belgian/Canadian co-production Mr. Nobody [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jaco Van Dormael
interview: Jaco Van Dormael
film profile], which was unveiled in competition at Venice and has sharply divided critics, who are either fervent supporters or fierce detractors (Pathé Distribution on 150 screens).

The line-up also includes Alfred Lot’s hypochondria-themed comedy A Spot of Bother [+see also:
trailer
film profile], starring Michel Blanc (see news - UGC Distribution on over 350 screens); two documentaries: Luc Moulet’s Land of Madness [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], which won acclaim in Cannes Directors’ Fortnight (see review - distributed by Les Films du Paradoxe) and Jean-Luc Miesch’s Streamfield, Les Carnets Noirs (“Streamfield, the Black Notebooks”, distributed by JJLM Films); and Florian Gaag’s German/Polish production Wholetrain [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (Alsace Cinémas Distribution).