Genevieve Bujold, looking like a marvelous sprite or a princess waif, plays Isabel, a 20-year-old from Montreal who returns to her childhood farm on the Gaspé coast for her mother's funeral; there, she reconnects with the remains of her relatives and becomes especially intrigued by a handsome young man who resembles her long-deceased brother. Inscrutable drama from writer-producer-director Paul Almond (Bujold's then-husband) has melancholy atmospherics to spare and unsettling bursts of sound. The film begins with a flurry of jagged past-and-future edits which, I assume, are supposed to show the jumble of Isabel's thoughts, but nowhere else in the film are the edits this quick (the pacing slows way down once Isabel reaches her destination). Almond's handling in general is smooth and languid, as if in a sleepwalking state. The combination of a creeping sense of dread, Bujold's maybe/maybe not hallucinations, plus a looming secret about Isabel's parentage hold interest for awhile, but Almond fails to come up with a strong final act and the movie just dribbles away. Cinematography by Georges Dufaux is excellent and the supporting performances are casual and relaxed. Bujold's lightly offhand manner is appealing, and her elfin face (accentuated with high fashion makeup) is endlessly fascinating. ** from ****