GamerTab That was an excellent one.

VividSimon Simply Perfect

Humbersi The first must-see film of the year.

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

morrison-dylan-fan Finding the performances in the first part of this loosely connected movie series to be better than what I was expecting from Eric Rohmer, (who was such a hipster that he never owned a phone-bloody hippy!) that I decided to take a look at the second in the series.The plot:Deciding that she has had enough of being a mistress for married men,art student Sabine sets her sights on finding a good single man.Meeting up with her pal Clarisse, Clarisse ends up introducing Sabine to her cousin Edmond.Soon falling for him,Sabine decides that Edmond is the one,but soon finds her past catching up.View on the film:Joined by an off-beat score from Ronan Girre & Simon des Innocents,writer/director Éric Rohmer and cinematographer Bernard Lutic tan the title in a golden bloom which casts a romantic Autumn atmosphere over the film. Holding her head high, Béatrice Romand gives a good performance as Sabine,whose art side Romand rolls in, along with all the frustrations just under Sabine's fingers.Making Sabine an art student,the screenplay by auteur Rohmer laps up all of the golden lights from the middle class elite art world.Whilst his love of the bourgeoisie life fits the arty brush strokes,it leads to Sabine's romance with Edmond to feel incredibly empty,due to Rohmer's fixture on the bourgeoisie leading to a calm mood which stops any sign of passion or intimacy being shown in a marriage that is breaking apart at the seams.

piverba I like Rohmer realistic films, without background music, without closeups. A young 23 years old girl, still quite narcissistic, suddenly decides to reshape her life, specifically, to get married. The idea overwhelms her so completely that she's no longer interested in selecting someone she loves, rather impatiently first available candidate. She believes that the power of her charms (looks and personality), her resolve, will win over anyone. She's being supported by her girl-friend and somewhat skeptical but loving mother. Her plans are frustrated despite of her extraordinary efforts. The man is simply not interested.There are many lessons in this example. Personality of the main character is very well developed, palpable, vital. I feel I knew someone like that. None of the characters are idealized, they all are very real. We see a slice of life, specifically French life, with its values, culture, attitudes.Rohmer, first and most importantly, a teacher, helps us to see something important in human relationships, something very subtle.Rohmer died this year at the age of 89. He lived longer than any of the French New Wave directors, a movement he belonged to. He believed that his films are closer to a kind of novel rather than to a theater. In my opinion, his usage of cinematographic tools was too subdued, timid, as if he was not quite sure what to do with them - and this is reflected in my rating. But whatever tools he did used, he did it well. His uniqueness and importance is beyond any doubt.

writers_reign Seems I can't win with Rohmer. Just when I'd concluded he was only good for static, philosophical debate with ciphers in lieu of flash and blood characters he weighs in with this entry which indicates that he HAS been watching to see how the Big Boys do it because this time around he actually takes his camera off the tripod, throws in the odd fluid sequence and even mixes between Master, Long, Mediumn and Close Shots. As if that weren't enough he goes further by using actors that we've actually HEARD of like Andre Dussollier and Arelle Dombasle. On the other hand he's still not paying a great deal of attention to plausibility and allowing coincidence too great a role in the scheme of things. However, on the whole this particular title isn't too hard to take, especially as a freebie with an English newspaper.

frankiehudson I never really understood the acclaim for Eric Rohmer yet this is a nice little film with some fascinating Loire scenery and townscapes and the beautiful Beatrice Romand. What more can you ask for? My DVD was free with the Independent newspaper (London), so I can't complain. It even had a little 7 minute interview 'Special Feature' with Eric Rohmer, who explains one or two things (like his admiration for tourist-style films of towns like Le Mans and Ballon).There are amazing shots of Le Mans and its spectacular cathedral and also its tiny cobbled streets - the typical France that we all know and love. Romand is shown with her friend walking around these historic, somewhat claustrophobic streets, visiting the art gallery where she works and stuff like that.The contrast between Sabine, in her tinny little vintage Renault car with its cumbersome gear changer, and her latest bloke is amusing, rattling along some very attractive rural French roads.Very good.