Rohmer Films

Pauline at the Beach (1983) Rohmer. Two men, a young girl, and her older relative spend a summer in Brittaney - romance and comedy ensue. Rohmer has been hit or miss with me. Loved "Chloe n the Afternoon" and "Claire's Knee" didn't like "The Collector". Like most Rohmer films, there's little plot or action. His films usually emphasize dialogue and character- so if you find the characters dull or unlikable - its a long slog -which "Pauline at the Beach" was. And I didn't find Pauline "beautiful" or "charming" at all - her broad shoulders, sloppy dress, page boy haircut, and pug-nosed face, kept reminding me of a teenage boy. The male lead ran around shirtless and was dull, while the older female - "Marion"- looked like a plastic barbie doll. Given my dislike - I didn't care about their endless talk. Rating **

Claire's Knee (1970) - Rohmer. Delightful comedy about a middle-aged diplomat who meets several young girls during a vacation at Lake Geneva. Beautifully photographed and with a witty script. People complain Rohmer's characters talk rather "show" - but that didn't bother me. Rating ***1/2

LA Collectionneuse (1967) - Rohmer. Comedy-drama about a womanizing art dealer and friend and their relationship with a young woman who it is said "collects men". One of Rhomer's six moral tales. The script has some witty lines but the males leads are so obnoxious and unlikable I couldn't enjoy the movie. Rating **

My Nights at Maud's (1969) - Rohmer. Filmed in B&W and the 3rd ofRohmer's moral tales. Jean-Lois, a pious, but conflicted Catholic Engineer spends a night at Maud's, a bold, free-thinker, while chasing a Blond Catholic (Francois) he's seen at Church. Who will he end up with? This is the 4th RhomerMoral Tale I've seen - and the most talky. Yes, the talk is intelligent and interesting -but it went on too long (112 minutes). The other problem is that after Maud - Francois seemed rather dull. And too bad Rohmer has so little interest in strong male leads. His female characters are always beautiful and interesting- his male ones bland and vanilla. Rating ***

L'Amour l'après-midi (1972) Directed by Eric Rohmer. Happily married French Lawyer starts to notice all the beautiful young woman in Paris and wonders whether to have an affair. Slow moving and talky but interesting - well directed. Rating ***