The Student
The Student
| 11 November 1988 (USA)
The Student Trailers

An ambitious teaching student's finals studies are interrupted by a passionate affair with a jazz musician.

Reviews
GurlyIamBeach Instant Favorite.
YouHeart I gave it a 7.5 out of 10
TrueHello Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.
Yash Wade Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.
Instanto-929-625300 To speak frankly - This is not just a french movie.And honestly, it does have it's flaws, like every movie.Good news is: They do not really matter.Valentine is a young student in Paris, who hasn't got time for anything, not even for sleeping. A romance that lasts longer than a night is out of the question. Then she meets Ned, who doesn't even take the time to finish his sentences. From here it takes a rather usual turn: They fall in love until they start getting to know each other better and they reach the turning point, to settle for true love or to separate.Everyone who gets to see this classic movie, that is in love or ever has been, shall jump up at the end and scream: 'Yes! Yes! That's exactly how it is!' With tears in one's eyes, because love is just like this and that's what L'étudiante has captured in all of its beauty.This movie begins with love and it ends with it, furiously. Director Claude Pinoteau takes the viewer on a trip, that begins with the first amazement of a new acquaintance, this feeling that takes your breath away and ends in a monologue which is, in my honourable opinion, one of the best ever.
Dunc L'Etudiante is a film that centres around the relationship between a student teacher called Valentine (Sophie Marceau) and an ambitious but unsuccessful musician named Ned (Vincent Lindon).Valentine is an exceptionally dedicated student, who thinks of nothing but passing her exams, which, quite unsurprisingly, has a big effect on her relationship with Ned. Ned is frequently tormented by this fact, and also that his relentless touring does not help the relationship either. The film follows them as they try to overcome these problems and settle into a life together.Like most French films, L'Etudiante is quite dialogue-heavy. Very little actually happens in the film and most of the scenes are of the main actors talking, whether that be in flats, cafés, restaurants, cars, beds, trains or the streets of Paris. And, as is also true about most French films, it is the quality of the acting that sees this through. Lindon is highly entertaining as Ned. He portrays perfectly the man with great ambitions but not the ruthlessness needed to fulfil them. His down-to-Earthness is the perfect contrast to Marceau's highly-strung Valentine. Marceau gives an excellent performance. We've all known workaholics who put their personal success before everything else. Often we see these people as cold and unemotional but Marceau is the opposite and shows Valentine to be as human as anyone else helping us to understand what is driving her.Again, as is also often the case in French films, there are a number of constant irritations in the picture. Often, especially at the beginning, the director seems to just want to look at Marceau. She's very attractive but the constant goddess-like adoration does get a little waring. Fortunately, it calms down a bit by the second half of the film. A common gripe at French films is that the dialogue can get a bit precious at times. This is certainly true of L'Etudiante. When I was a student, I rarely fell out with people because of their opinions on social anthropology, political philosophy or career options. Perhaps Parisian students do. And finally, Marceau does spend quite a few scenes au naturale. This is not an unpleasant sight but,personally, I found it to be a little unnecessary.L'Etudiante is a good French film for people who don't watch many French films. It won't change your life but it does provide you with an insight into commercial French cinema and will definitely keep you entertained for a couple of hours.
sun328 the plot is so actual that it reminds me of my own life, since i am also a student now. the French romantic atmosphere in that movie is another reason why i grade 10 for it. And i like the ending of the movie particularly, it makes me burst into tears. it is the very movie that makes me have an interest on Sophie.
linuxghoul This was the first french movie i had seen, and seeing it made me feel i had been losing out on a great genre. I instantly fell in love with Sophie, who without a doubt, is easily the hottest thing to come out of France after Brigitte Bardot ;-)The movie follows the life of a carrer oriented woman who decides to have a "fling" and then the fling slowly turns into something which she is uncomfortable accepting, as it may interfere with her studies.A beautifully made film, though the track is pretty standard for a June-December romance.