The Rendezvous

Spoiled for me by Tim Dutton's mediocre acting. Never seen him in anything good!

This film is simply a brilliantly crafted artifact that fortunately we still, from time to time, have the opportunity of being exposed to. The story is a simple one....universal.....man and woman getting together for the first time.....fear, expectations, first impressions all come to play during a "first date" scenario. The two actors deliver impressive monologues and ultimately blend comedy and drama harmoniously to refined and intelligent small touches ( i.e. the fountain pen that gets left behind allowing the audience to project their own ideas on how the story could continue). Truninger must have worked with a small budget on this film; however, the result confirms that well crafted ideas, great attention to direction and details plus great performances from your cast can and will overcome budgetary restraints every time. I would recommend this film to anyone who still gets pleasure from discovering films off the beaten path; like the banal romantic comedies that Hollywood has accustomed us to.

After its roaring success in Zurich, this sleeper hit continues to spellbind viewers as it finally arrives in Toronto, the city where it was made but does not take place in. Canadian audiences have been most receptive to this intimate drama, whose charming characters awkwardly reveal their mutual attraction and insecurities, as they try to understand each other's place in the world. Truninger and Ritzmann have cleverly honed in on the flaws of Noonan's original script, bringing a new warmth to the story without sacrificing the promise of dark secrets that linger in the air. One can only hope that this modest yet engaging film will receive the worldwide release that it so clearly deserves.

I watched The Rendezvous at the Myrtle Beach International Film Festival. It was definitely my favorite movie of the festival and I believe it won a few awards. The two characters really resonated with me and I could feel old memories resurfacing from awkward dates from long ago. The actors played superbly off each other. The awkward moments between two people were captured very well in the dialog, and the subtle tension that developed was eased in the appropriate moments with comedic relief. I actually laughed for over a minute in one scene. I don't watch many movies twice but I would really love to see this one again when it comes out on DVD or streaming.

My friends in Montreal wanted to see this movie. I was reluctant at first, but very soon I was enthralled by this story about two lonely singles who try to connect. The evening - a dinner at her loft- drags on as she desperately tries to let him know how attracted she is to him. I didn't know the actors but their performance is breathtaking, especially Eva Birthistle. While on the surface, at first, nothing much happens, and they pretend to be somebody they are not, as the evening progresses, they give away much more about themselves than they wanted. The date ends in a total different way than what you are expecting. And you feel personally very touched. A thought creeps in your mind: That could have been me!