Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
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Clément van den Bergh | ... | Nicolas |
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Lokman Nalcakan | ... | Hodkann |
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François Roy | ... | The Father |
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Yves Verhoeven | ... | Patrick |
Emmanuelle Bercot | ... | Miss Grimm | |
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Tina Sportolaro | ... | The Mother |
Yves Jacques | ... | The Visitor | |
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Chantal Banlier | ... | Marie Ange |
Benoît Herlin | ... | Ribotton | |
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Julien Le Mouel | ... | Lucas |
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Tom Jacon | ... | Nicolas' little brother |
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Loïc Pichon | ... | Policeman #1 |
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Thierry Redler | ... | Policeman #2 |
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Jean-Claude Frissung | ... | Doctor |
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Alain Payen | ... | Policeman at accident |
A schoolboy Nicholas always worries about something. When he goes on a school skiing trip, all his visions and nightmares take him over.
Much of the advance publicity for this quiet little slice of a child's life seem as if it's going to be sadism in the school and kids doing cloak and dagger work; neither is really true of this film, although there is a major discovery to be made as the main character (subtly etched by a preteen with an appealing sensitivity) negotiates his way among the strangers he is suddenly stuck with when his parents pop him down in a children's winter camp.
The lad has visions, but not without reason, and once seen, all the disparate pieces fit very nicely indeed; there is a fascinating music score that ranges from Rock to Rossini, and if I haven't said a good deal about what happens, it's because what happens to the boy is a mystery: the wish bracelet he wears tells the story. This is not a fast-paced thriller, but a contemplative voyage into a child's mind, crossed with elements of a classic mystery.