Tonnerre

Director Guillaume Brac reunites with actor Vincent Macaigne, the star of his medium-length films Stranded (French Cinema Now 2009) and A World Without Women (French Cinema Now 2012), for this film set in the titular north-central French town. A moderately successful rock star, 33-year-old Maxime (Macaigne) abandons wintertime Paris to move back in with his quirky father (Bernard Menez). An interview with the local newspaper introduces Maxime to 21-year-old aspiring journalist Mélodie (Solène Rigot). Despite the age difference, he swiftly falls hard for the young woman’s charms. His visit to his hometown is off to an idyllic start, but as time passes, unresolved feelings rise to the surface, complicating his relationships with both his dad and Mélodie. Brac skillfully and complexly elicits nuanced performances from the three leads and takes this low-key, character-driven drama—which premiered in competition at the 2012 Locarno Film Festival—in numerous unexpected directions. –Joseph Bowman