12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Encore bonheur!, July 9, 2001
The most droll of romances yet from a great storyteller. Nothing seems lacking, nothing seems excessive in plot or characterization. The subtle refinement of the dialogue leaves one smiling with delight. The craft of this piece of art, the beauty of the Rhone valley (slowly being spoiled with industry), the sunswept fields, the wind, and that, acts on the heart like the last drops of a fine wine on the palate. I somewhat doubt that anyone much under forty can fully appreciate the bittersweet qualities of this tale, but for those who have lived enough to have found themselves solitary at an age when stoic resignation is considered a virtue, and dedication to career is seen as a cure, the universality of Magali's cri de couer is full of poignant charm. As so often before Rohmer emphasizes the contingency of romantic attachment while creating two of the most appealing and deserving heroines. The fact that they are the most mature women he has yet depicted suggests that, like Magali's vintage, he feels that one can't really appreciate life until it's been allowed time to ripen.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A beautiful film that exemplifies cinematic creativity, July 21, 2000
As I walked out of the theatre from this film, my whole being felt moved. It's very simplicity is endearing. The natural beauty of the actors was refreshing. They weren't glamorous or beautiful, and Magali strikes you as almost plain as the film commences. But you still grow to love her carefree spirit and the way she loves her work. In addition, the cinematography is commendable and you just want to drown yourself in the vineyards of France when you see it. There are times when the whole thing just seems droll. You feel as if you are stepping back in time, but not so much that you lose the comfortable understanding you assume with the characters. I love watching this movie, and I absolutely watch it again and again.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Into the realm of middle-aged romance., October 17, 2001
Isabella, played by Marie Riviere, a happily married book-seller, has sympathy for the lonely plight of her best friend Magali, played by Beatrice Romand, a wine grower. Deciding to do something about it, she advertises in a lonely heart's column and, pretending to be Magali, goes on her first date with Gerald,
charmingly played by Alain Libolt. Two weeks and several pleasant dates later she confesses her deception, explains her reason for it, and invites him to her daughter's wedding where she tells him he can meet the real Magali - as if by accident. He accepts the invitation and he and Magali have a lovely encounter in which each makes a very promising impression on the other. But the euphoria she feels does not last. Only moments later she is bitterly disappointed to learn from her son's girl friend that he and Isabella have been meeting in secret. Her disappointment turns to resentment when she catches them behaving in a more than friendly fashion.
But it seems to me that what she sees is a plot contrivance put in to add drama and tension to the story line. Without it there would be no film. But it is still a central flaw which undermines the films reality. In one brief minute, in contradiction of everything she has said and that we know about her, Isabella comes on to Gerald and seems to be trying to seduce him. It seems so out of character that you wonder what on earth she is playing at. And at that moment, without either of them noticing who it is, the door is opened by Magali who seeing them together feels that all her hopes for happiness have been shattered. She feels betrayed. Isabella's subsequent explanation that it was only a peck on the cheek to thank him for liking her friend doesn't hold water, and flies in the face of what we remember. And then she has to face the ordeal of being driven home by Gerald, and her struggle to suppress her rage and inner turmoil is superbly acted. She fails of course and leaves him abruptly, convinced that all now is lost.
The ending of the film is a little inconclusive, leaving the question hanging; was Isabella coming on to Gerald or not? and if so what does it portend for the future of all three? But that is another film.
This one is typically Rohmer; warm, intimate, a film in which nothing much happens but in which considerable pleasure is to be derived from listening to the charming character's very real conversations and watching their very subtle and ever changing facial expressions. Just to be in their company is enough.
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