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Nénette et Boni Review:
A lyrical movie set among Marseilles' working class, Claire Denis' Nenette et Boni is a work of nonchalant pleasures. In telling its coming-of-age story of a brother and sister from a dysfunctional family, Nenette et Boni proceeds on its own distinctive, lackadaisical rhythm -- it isn't afraid to digress if something of greater interest draws its attention. Denis displays a gift for capturing bits of subdued, incidental beauty: The sensuous fabric of a dress, the delectable icing on a pastry, the kaleidoscopic play of lights at night. At times, her meditative glance lingers longer than usual, as in a delightful moment when a baker's wife preens to the tune of the Beach Boys' "God Only Knows." As noteworthy as her knack for unlikely eye candy is her inviting humanism. In Denis' world, every individual is worthy of attention, even affection. Her characters are admirably full-bodied: They're reliable in their unpredictable humanity, acting in accordance with their own (sometimes inexplicable) motivations and never in the mere service of plot. Staying true to a career-long preoccupation with cross-cultural dynamics, Denis also includes a seemingly throwaway thread about illegal immigrants struggling to scratch out an existence in the city. It's a testament to her depth of feeling that such concerns, rendered tangentially here, nonetheless leave an impression. Elbert Ventura, All Movie Guide