Nenette and Boni (Denis, 1996)

An extension of sorts, from US Go Home, in both her central cast as well as the youthful libido. Blossoming in its extravagance, revealing itself to be both incredibly tender and unassuming as well as ferocious and troublesome. But it's never handled in a less than gentle way. Denis' eye here begins to showcase the sensuality that her work is so well known and praised for. Her attention to movement, the shapes of bodies, has finally started to reveal itself here. 

The way she tracks bodies moving. From room to room, inside a given space, short bursts of movement against longueurs of life. Emotions presented so straightforwardly against the realism of the performances. Everything is on the verge of breaking, but its fragility has one (Denis) capture it gently and with as little sentimentalism as possible. Yet so much of this is captured in close-ups. It's the first of her films that feels so deliberately close. If it wasn't so lovingly captured it'd be incredibly uncomfortable to view some of the scenes within. 

Perhaps because this is so explicitly about sexuality and family bonds that this can seem somewhat myopic by comparison to the films which came before it. The whole can seem rather insular, though Denis' attention to class dynamics is still very central to her whole process here. No one here has the capital to do much of anything beyond their means, nor does that really factor much into their goals. Monetary troubles only factor in when an unintended pregnancy arrives. Beyond that, to live and to work (and to fuck) is to live a life to the best one can. Though there is recurring desire for escape and hope for a better life elsewhere, or at the very least, a better tomorrow.