La boulangère de Monceau

Wonderful start for Rohmer's 6 moral tales which defined French New Wave. This is honestly one of his best movies, absolutely magnificent piece of art!

This is a short film by Eric Rohmer--and the first of his six so-called 'Morality Tales'. Unlike some of his later films, this one seems much more like a typical French New Wave film--with its unusual camera work (looking more like an amateur film at times), use of natural settings and unusual style.

"The Bakery Girl of Monceau" begins with a young man noticing a pretty lady as he walked to college. He's interested in her but they don't know each other at all--and he's working up the courage to talk to her. Eventually, he bumps into her and they talk a bit. He asks her out for coffee but she declines--but tells him she'd be willing in the future. The problem, however, is that for some time he returns to his daily route and doesn't see her. Instead, however, he becomes interested in a girl who works in a bakery. What will become of this and will the original girl return?

While I know that many love Rohmer and New Wave films, this one seems like it's more a practice film than a finished product. It's incredibly mundane--to the point of almost being banal. Because of this, it's not for the casual viewer--and a film that is really impossible to rate.

The first of Eric Rohmer's six moral tales, The Girl at the Bakery Monceau is probably what newcomers to the unorthodox style of film-making Rohmer employs should first be exposed to. Not because they should be seen in order but more or less due to the fact that the film is under thirty minutes. As in all the tales the theme ( chauvinist male protagonist conflicted over two women) remains the same and in Monceau you are given a small dose of what will carry over into the full length explorations of men in self righteous struggle with reality and ideals.

A young law student on a nearly daily basis passes a young woman he is attracted to on the streets of Paris. Encouraged by his friend to pursue her he asks her out after literally bumping in to her. She agrees to set a date when they meet again but then disappears for days after. The young man begins to search for her by combing the area, sacrificing his meals to give him more time to do so. He substitutes pastry from a local bakery to cover his nourishment. Having no luck with finding Sylvie, he begins to pursue Jacqueline the bakery counter girl while he continues his search.

Rohmer's literary style can be quite trying and his protagonists obnoxiously condescending. His characters are neither heroic or noble. Rohmer's narrative style which depends heavily on interior monologue reveals some ugly truths that may not cause catastrophe but offer insightful points of view that makes the audience pause in reflection. We sometimes see ourselves in such reflections as well as friends and acquaintances.

Eugene O'Neil said "We live in illusion and die in reality." Nothing supplies illusion better than the darkened dream palace which allows us to storm a beach, race a car through city streets, go a round or two with Sugar Ray or get close to Sophia Loren and Ava Gardner. In all of his tales Rohmer narrows that gap, exposing a hum drum reality with a fickle illusion born of self deception. There is a subtle subversive reward to be found in all of the "Moral Tales" and with The Girl at the Bakery Monceau he is off to an excellent start.

Especially in the early sixties, streets of Paris serve here as settings for a cute character study about a young man in search of dating a girl whom he doesn't know at all. Acting is not very good, or maybe too old fashioned. Actors don't play this way anymore today, especially non professional ones. Michèle Girardon is as beautiful as she was in HATARI, two years earlier. Such a shame that she disappeared at only 36 years old.

An interesting short film by Eric Rohmer. A university student in Paris falls in love with a girl with whom he encounters about everyday in the street but cannot find the courage to talk.

The film mostly consists of the narration of intimate thoughts of the man while he is chasing the girl in the streets. To console himself in her absence, he begins flirting with another girl in a bakery. His thoughts become even more complicated. The narrative style is so impressive that you find yourself reading the protagonist's mind.