850. Conte d'hiver

Conte d'hiver
A Tale of Winter
1992
Directed by Eric Rohmer

Only 151 movies left to go people!  I know, I know...speed it along.  I will try my best, dear readers.

The film opens with a rather nauseating montage of a young couple falling in love over vacation on a beach.  At the end of the trip, Felicie accidentally gives Charles the wrong address.  Consequently, he doesn't find her (I guess they can't all be Rex Hofmans).  This is particularly unfortunate, as Felicie is pregnant with Charles' child.  Five years later, Felicie is still missing Charles and is pursued by two very different suitors.

Roger Ebert said there is sadness in Rohmer's work, but never gloom.  Once again, Ebert demonstrates that he is the perfect human.  There was a certain sadness in this.  I think we all would like to believe that our lives are defined by our big decisions, but in reality it is our small mistakes and even smaller strokes of luck that dictate the direction our lives take.  This entire film was hinged on coincidence, which was, at times, frustrating.  Ultimately, though, I think the style was a statement, rather than simply implausible storytelling...right?

Anyway, I can't go too high on my rating for this one, as Felicie's indecisiveness kept pissing me off.  I am not saying it was unrealistic, but it was definitely annoying to witness.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

The second in Rohmer's "Tales of the Four Seasons" series.

492. Ma nuit chez Maud

Ma Nuit Chez Maud
My Night at Maud's
1969
Directed by Eric Rohmer

I have been away from this blog for a little bit, so I apologize.  My birthday was a few days ago and I have also been extremely busy doing physical therapy for my leg and then moping about the pain afterward (which takes almost as much energy!).  Anyway, I am back for now so let's crank these out.

I watched about twenty minutes of this movie before realizing that I hadn't taken in a word.  Being the diligent blogger that I am, I restarted the film.  I am so pleased that I did, because this really is a fantastic movie.

Strictly Catholic Jean-Louis runs into an old friend, Vidal, who takes him to his lover's house.  For the duration of the film, the three of them discuss philosophy, religion, and love.  When Vidal leaves, however, Jean-Louis struggles to decide what he wants to do with Maud, particularly because he is already in love with someone else.

I absolutely love discussions about philosophy and religion (though not when someone just posts a bunch of random scripture in the comments sections; ahem).  I know I don't sound half as eloquent as the characters in this film, but I still have a lot of fun listening to new ideas about the way the world works.  So this was an entertaining film for me, although I can see how it might not be everyone's cup of tea.

I don't do spoilers on this site, but I will say that I loved the struggle that Jean-Louis went through.  Is it better to regret doing something or to regret not doing something?  Should we ask for permission or forgiveness?

Definitely a film I would recommend to people who love good dialogue!

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

There seem to be two English titles for this film: "My Night at Maud's" or "My Night with Maud".  I am in no way fluent in French (though sometimes I pretend to be) but isn't the first title more accurate since it "chez Maud" and not "avec Maud"?  Thoughts?

Third of Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales.