Product Details

• Actors: Béatrice Romand, André Dussollier, Féodor Atkine, Arielle Dombasle, Huguette Faget
• Directors: Eric Rohmer
• Writers: Eric Rohmer
• Producers: Margaret Ménégoz
• Format: Color, Subtitled, NTSC
• Language: French
• Subtitles: English
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Fox Lorber
• VHS Release Date: May 25, 1999
• Run Time: 97 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 1572525037
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #18,605 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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  #18 in	Video > Art House & International > European Cinema > France > French New Wave
  #54 in	Video > Art House & International > By Genre > Comedy

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The second of Eric Rohmer's "Comedies and Proverbs" series, A Good Marriage stars Béatrice Romand as Sabine, a headstrong, emotional Roller coaster of a searching single woman. She impulsively leaves her married lover one night and decides she's going to marry, setting out to find her man with a mixture of romantic idealism and calculated determination. When her best friend Clarisse (Arielle Dombasle, from Pauline at the Beach) introduces Sabine to her handsome cousin Edmond (André Dussollier, Perceval), she seems to have found her mate; it's just a matter of convincing him of the impending marriage. But, alas, all is not so simple in Rohmer's world of modern love. Romand's Sabine is a delightful conundrum: resolute, firm, and fiercely independent on the one hand; moody, impulsive, and emotionally fragile on the other. Like all of Rohmer's films, this is driven by conversation, from uncomfortable small talk to confessions between girlfriends, but Sabine also lives her life, passionately pursuing her goals with the single-minded zest of a woman on a mission. Her road to love may take a few unplanned detours, but Rohmer, the eternal romantic, concludes the film on a delightfully hopeful note packed in a few glances and a flirty smile. --Sean Axmaker

From the Back Cover

The second of Eric Rohmer's Comedies and Proverbs is the insightful and charming look at twenty-five year-old Sabine (Beatrice Romand), who has arbitrarily decided it is time to get married. She starts by ditching her married boyfriend and doggedly pursues Edmond (Andre Dussollier), a lawyer whom she barely knows. Unfortunately, she faces humiliation when she discovers that he see things quite differently.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars YOU SHALL MARRY ME !, April 17, 2000

By	wdanthemanw "wdanthemanw" (Geneva, Switzerland) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: A Good Marriage (DVD)

Second of the famous " comedies and proverbs " of French director Eric Rohmer, A GOOD MARRIAGE is a less serious movie than THE AVIATOR'S WIFE, the first movie of this great artistic achievement. One smiles and laughs a lot during A GOOD MARRIAGE, and that's not so common in Rohmer's filmography !

One fine day, Sabine, a 25 years old art student, decides to get married. She is sure that she won't have any problem at all to find the right man ; she's pretty, young and smart. A handsome Parisian lawyer, played by a terrific André Dussolier, will be the chosen one. Without knowing it. One suffers (if you're a man, of course) with the poor man, absolutely not in love with Sabine, trying to escape from the charming girl's arms without hurting her.

A GOOD MARRIAGE is showing in a comic manner that will is not sufficient to obtain what one desires proving, if necessary, by treating this subject that it is definitely not a Hollywood product.

Images and sound are surprisingly good for a Winstar DVD... but extra-features are still under-average.

A DVD dedicated to bachelors.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely delightful, October 15, 2001

By	Anna Shlimovich (Boston, MA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The movie is from Rohmer series of proverbs, and it is very kind and charming. For me, it was a story of a young girl coming out of age, about a conflict between her determination to achieve a goal despite all odds by trying to manipulate others and how life unfolds to shock the her that other people's emotions are not simple matter. What I love about Rohmer's films is the kindness and warmth that radiates, although the stories are somewhat melancholic. I wish movies like this be done nowadays, too, without that garish vulgarity that blights modern cinema.
This is not for Hollywood lovers, therefore.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars My First Foreign Film, and Definitely Not My Last., June 23, 2005

By	Reviews No More - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Good Marriage (DVD)

Eric Rohmer's second movie, A Good Marriage, is the first one I've seen, and my being a big fan of Arielle Dombasle aside, it is a very good one. Sabine (Beatrice Romand) is tired of being used and treaded on lightly by her married boyfriend, so after dumping him, she decides she is going to get married. As she explains to her artist friend Clarisse (Arielle Dombasle) she is going to get herself a husband without bedding him first and that's that. She hasn't any prospects, but Clarisse deliberately tries to push her and her cousin Edmond (Andre' Dussollier), who is a lawyer, together at a sister's wedding.

From the beginning, it is very clear that he isn't interested as he just runs out after a phone call. Clarisse insists she has recognized love at first sight and, though Sabine is cool about it, she single-mindedly and relentlessly begins to persue him, determined to make him her husband "whether he likes it or not!"

One can admire Sabine on the one hand for fearlessly going after what she wants, having decided to up her scruples and better things for herself. On the other hand, one gets annoyed at her childlike tantrum-throwing behavior, particularly at her birthday party when he shows up late. I actually felt sorry for him as she wouldn't stop calling his office, then eventually showed up there for a one-on-one in which he informs her he's written her a letter. I also took her side as he spewed off the same old excuse in subtitles: "It's not you, it's me." A man who avoids you and sends you a letter is pointedly telling you that it's you, and saying that it's him is a paltry attempt to be kind.

I do like how she is able to pick herself up and start all over again, realizing her mistake, and I love the humorous ray of hope at the end, which I won't give away. Sabine is a typical young woman learning all about herself and relating to others around her, and Clarisse is her eternally optimistic, romantic best friend. Their relationship and Sabine's with her family say much about her personality and attitude. This is a meaningful, yet fun and enjoyable movie that teaches important lessons about your will and others' being complete opposites. A good, solid story free of the garbage that permeates too many Hollywood productions. This one is clean and highly enjoyable.