'Victor . . . pendant qu'il est trop tard'

Realist cinema, even at its best, tends to have a very flat view of reality, one that involves merely capturing the world around us as we perceive it. But there's also the world inside us, tinged by memories, sensations, thoughts and desires. For some filmmakers, reality as seen through a character's eyes can't be "real" without the distortions that arise inside the head and heart -- perception filtered through a mind-set.

This year has already seen a couple of excellent works in this "lyrical-realist" vein, which mix well-observed social reality with a twist of the subconscious. Joining Lynn Ramsay's "Ratcatcher" and Abolfazl Jalili's "Dance of Dust" is up-and-coming French director Sandrine Veysset's "Victor . . . pendant qu'il est trop tard," a film that floats somewhere between documentary and fantasy.

Set in Provence, the film follows Victor (Jeremy Chaix), a dreamy little 10-year-old with a less than dreamy home-life. After witnessing his parents involved in some kinky sex, Victor flees his home late at night. With a bit of money in his pocket, he goes to an amusement park, where he rides a merry-go-round over and over until he dozes off.