Rendezvous In Paris (1995)
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1996 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 8.0 Alternative Scale: ***1/2 out of ****
France, 1995 U.S. Release Date: beginning 8/96 (limited) Running Length: 1:34 MPAA Classification: No MPAA Rating (Mature themes) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Cast: Clara Bellar, Antoine Basler, Mathias Megard, Judith Chancel, Aurore Rauscher, Serge Renko, Michael Kraft, Benedicte Loyen, Veronika Johansson Director: Eric Rohmer Producer: Francoise Etchegaray Screenplay: Eric Rohmer Cinematography: Diane Baratier Music: Sebastien Erms U.S. Distributor: Artificial Eye Film Co. In French with English subtitles
If Paris is indeed the city for lovers, then Eric Rohmer has perfectly captured the mood in his 1995 film, RENDEZVOUS IN PARIS, which, like most of Rohmer films, has taken over a year to finally reach U.S. screens. Rohmer, one of France's most respected directors, is seventy-five years old, but his vision is that of someone less than half his age. He writes for young characters better than most twenty- something screenwriters, yet the thoughts and ideas presented in his films are valid for all ages.
The best thing, and sometimes the only thing, about Rohmer's work is the dialogue. No one makes films quite like him, and, any time a movie is distinguished by intelligent, meaningful conversation, the French film maker's name immediately comes up (check out reviews of Richard Linklater's 1995 romantic comedy, BEFORE SUNRISE, for examples). Films like CLAIRE'S KNEE, CHLOE IN THE AFTERNOON, and A TALE OF SPRINGTIME keep us engrossed for their entire running length not because the plot goes anywhere in particular, but because we're always interested in hearing what the characters are going to say next.
RENDEZVOUS IN PARIS is a trilogy of short stories about people meeting, and sometimes missing each other, in Paris. Each segment introduces new characters, but there are certain common themes that wind throughout all three. With this triptych, Rohmer is illustrating the many ways that human interaction can occur. He shows people in love, pretending to be in love, and wishing they were in love. If you meet someone on the street, how different will things be if you keep walking, or if you follow them? Rohmer shows the importance of fate and coincidence in determining our choice of companions. A rendezvous, after all, can be planned or unexpected, pleasant or undesirable.
The first story in RENDEZVOUS IN PARIS is "The Seven O'Clock Rendezvous." It introduces a young couple, Esther (Clara Bellar) and Horace (Antoine Basler), who appear to be very much in love. However, Esther soon learns that her lover may be unfaithful, and, although she wants to trust him, doubt gnaws at her. At this juncture, a young, attractive man (Mathias Megard) approaches her uncertainly on the street, wanting to go out with her. After a short conversation, Esther arranges a seven o'clock rendezvous with him at a cafe. Much more happens in this episode, but I don't want to reveal anything else, except to say that Rohmer has a few delicious twists in store for his viewers. Of the three parts of RENDEZVOUS, this is the most plot- oriented.
"The Benches of Paris" is a two-character play. It introduces a pair of teachers (played by Aurore Rauscher and Serge Renko) who are falling in love. They are not lovers -- she is still involved with someone named Benoit, whom she claims to feel nothing for. The couple strolls through Paris, going from parks to cemeteries to greenhouses, enjoying each other's company and talking about love, life, and whether kisses are more memorable in icy weather. Eventually, on one of these walks, they decide to consummate the relationship by taking a room in a hotel after pretending to be tourists in Paris. But fate has one final obstacle to place in their path.
"Mother and Child", the most talky segment, concludes the trilogy. It begins with a painter (Michael Kraft) showing his work to a Swedish visitor (Veronika Johansson) for whom he's playing tourist guide. When he tires of her banal conversation, he drops her off at a museum to see a Picasso exhibit. On the way home, the painter's attention is captivated by a girl he passes on the street (Benedicte Loyen). He follows her, and, when he eventually meets her, discovers that his powers of seduction aren't as irresistible as he thinks.
Of the three episodes, the second is my favorite. The chemistry between the two leads is amazing. The dialogue is perfect, causing the half-hour to pass too quickly. It's a wonderfully romantic situation that underscores Rohmer's directorial skills. Don't just listen to the way these two talk, watch their body language. Rohmer is a master of subtlety -- these kinds of little details are evident throughout. For example, when a stranger visits Esther's room in the first segment, watch her eyes as she covertly takes in her surroundings.
I've never before seen any of the actors in this film, but they're all wonderful. Rohmer has chosen a group of young people who are not only attractive, but capable. With so little time to present their characters, each effectively accomplishes the aim, and, even though some of them are on screen for only a few minutes, they fashion men and women that we can identify with, even when we don't particularly like them.
With RENDEZVOUS IN PARIS, as with many of his other films, Rohmer proves that social intercourse can be as delightful as the sexual variety. Hal Hartley's recent FLIRT fails to do much the same thing that RENDEZVOUS succeeds at: show the varied, unpredictable results of basic, flirtatious human contact. RENDEZVOUS isn't among Rohmer's great movies -- although dialogue is always the chief pleasure of his films, the full-length features allow us to delight in conversations while growing to appreciate the characters. The half-hour length of RENDEZVOUS' segments limits character identification. Nevertheless, in each of his three short episodes, Rohmer gives us more substance than that which is found most two-hour movies.
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net ReelViews web site: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin
"We go away from our parents in youth and then we gradually come back to them; and in that moment, we have grown up." -- Ingmar Bergman
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