Le beau mariage

Frankly, this is not my favourite 'Rohmer': I far preferred Conte D'Hiver, Le Genou De Claire, & Signe Du Lion. Having said that, I still warmed to this quirky but engaging story about an independent, self absorbed, head strong, young lady of 25 who one day decides: enough's enough, it's time for marriage! And then...

Overall, it's a very watchable tale, and well worth your while if watching what happens to someone who suddenly decides it's time to settle down with the right one (i.e., he who she's yet to meet!) appeals to you. Rohmer, directs with mastery. And in saying so, I fear that in the hands of many an other director, I'd have not found the tale so satisfying to watch. Kudos too, must go to Ms Romand (from Rohmer's 'Claire's Knee' & 'Autumn Tale') for her playing the lead character so well. The casting & acting of the other actors was very good too.

Overall, I recommended Le Beau Marriage, with the caveat that it's definitely not a movie that everyone would like. I strongly recommend you read the promo blurb first, and ask yourself if such a story might appeal to you? And if so, by all means you should definitely watch it. For me... I enjoyed it enough to say it's worth - 7/10

A simple story placed in a windy village in the outskirts of Paris: a story which could have happened nowadays. A 25 years old girl not nice, but very strong minded who decides to get married to matter to whom. You perceive different worlds and environments: high and low bourgeoisie, the capital and the suburbs and in the middle a person with his problems, ideas, opinion, sentiments. It is a sweet and clever film and Rohmer is a master in describing his characters: you feel all the French great cultural tradition behind him.

Beatrice Romand is a perfect cast for the hot-headed, impetuous, self-confident and immature young girl in the leading role, while Andre Dussollier plays the role of a quintessential bourgeois Frenchman, charming, courteous, discreet, and tactful. His tact has reached the point of being hypocritical which makes the audience exasperate for the young girl, who has been kept on tenterhooks for too long and would not take no for an answer. Her insistent and blind chase of a man who is obviously not interested in her is only made worse by the reticence of the object of her pursuit. Rohmer's films are usually wordy sometimes tedious, they suit only certain type of audience. This one is definitely not tedious. An interesting and comical study of manners and mentalities in different classes of French society of the late 20th century.

The contradiction between traditional and modern, intellectual and emotional. Everyone governs themselves with philosophy but reveals themselves more deeply in the minute details of expression. A momentary pause or a botched smile illustrates volumes of character.

eric rohmer's films are so clearly his. The slow but deliberate pacing and crisp, to-the-point dialogue are two hallmarks of his style for me, and this film is an excellent example of those two qualities.

As with the other rohmer films I have seen, the characters are less individual, specific personalities than they are vessels for a type of person or for one side of an argument. Here we have the two female leads almost skipping exposition entirely, and going straight into philosophical discussions of love and marriage. What I like about monsieur rohmer is that he manages to do this without taking away all our empathy for his characters. He always shows us how the character's hands are played out, so we can see what the result of their actions were, and think about what we would have done, or will do in our lives. tres bien, monsieur rohmer; j'adore vos travails.