Le piace Brahms?

Wow! what a film! I cannot believe I never saw this movie until this evening.

Great performances by all. The script is perfect in my opinion. The cinematography by Armand Thirard is simply beautiful; giving a real Parisian early 60's Be-Bop nuance. Auric's film score is great. Ingrid is in excellent acting form & stunning. Yves plays his character very close to the vest which is exactly how this kind of personality needs to be played. Diahann Carroll is so beautiful & cool as the nightclub singer. Jessie Royce Landis is wonderful as Perkins' mother. I've only seen Anthony Perkins in 3 other films & he in my opinion is always excellent. He was obviously a very intuitive actor & so very gorgeous & I think his incredible looks may have hampered others from seeing his incredible acting talents.

What else can I say without giving away this magnificent story? A must see for all young girls. The ending scene is so moving I couldn't even cry although I understand why so many other viewers wrote that this is a movie where you need to have plenty of tissues handy. It was a shocking film for me to watch on so many levels because it offered exactly what you expected & then it didn't - too true to life in a most poignant way. Heart wrenching - a definite must see.

Part way through I found myself wondering why I was still watching the movie. It was nice to see Ingrid Bergman 20 years after making Casablanca, but I just couldn't care that much about her dilemma in this film.

One major detraction is Anthony Perkins. He has no business being in this film. I know he belongs in 'Psycho', but I don't think he's a fit as Bergman's younger lover.

What's great though is the many outdoor shots of Paris in the 60's. The automobiles. Wow! Really great street scenes, night shots of Paris, and again, those goofy looking cars.

And then there's that knockout Jocelyn Lane. She's doesn't last the duration of the film however, and that's really too bad.

So in essence I'm recommending the first third of this film.

Ingrid Bergman's excellent performance is what makes this film. She sincerely deals with the problem of September love; I've never seen her more beautiful or more committed. Anthony Perkins as the young spoiled mama's boy is excellent, and the scenes with the two of them are very believable. (It's called acting) Yves Montand is terrible---he's longing to be speaking in French. The scene at the end between Bergman & Perkins from the top of the stairs could move a stone to tears. Only Bergman could convincingly pull off a perfect soap opera--there will never be anyone like her.

For better or worse, the book on which this film is based, Francoise Sagan's highly-touted French best seller, "Aimez-vous Brahms?" was a key document in the early 60's feminist awakening, depicting as it does a horrendous case study of gallic male chauvinism toward an intelligent and faithful woman. Despite the obvious soapiness of the plot, Bergman makes the movie version credible. Her soulful eyes and sad little smile enhance a lovable portrayal of the heroine Paula. Few other actresses of the time had the presence and skill to bring this off -- allowing us to fathom the almost tragic depth of the jejeune Phillip's fascination with a gorgeous "older woman" while avoiding the appearance of silliness which might have, but does not, taint Paula's irrational loyalty to Roger. In short, Ingrid probably set the standard for the many subsequent portrayals of more successful independent yet loving women. The rest of the cast helps too -- Montand's magnetism makes Paula's continuing love for the cad almost believable and, for once, Anthony Perkins' stereotypical "spoiled rich boy " portrayal is right on target and his infatuation convincing.

Francoise Sagan apparently wrote about people and personalities with whom she was familiar and had a talent for depicting them very well. It always seemed to be about upper class, shallow, and confused types, revolving on a no-win merry-go-round.

There are certainly are such people, and their relationships are as much worthy of consideration, empathy and sympathy as anyone's. The main trio in "Goodbye Again" are very much these prototypes: confused, bored and trapped. Is it any wonder they just can't seem to get their lives together?

For me, this is a sad film, given superlative treatment in all departments. Brahms' rich melodies are embroidered by George Auric's sensitive original score. Armond Thirard's black and white photography is beautifully atmospheric. Samuel Taylor's screenplay is true to Sagan's original novel, and Anatol Litvak's direction wraps everything up neatly.

The cast can't be bettered: the combined star-power trio of Ingrid Bergman, Anthony Perkins and Yves Montand is perfect, and these three bring great pathos to the proceedings. The level of significance of these characters may be rather inconsequential in the long run--but the emotions they themselves feel are genuine. This fine acting trio embodies these roles and the result is a most engrossing two hours.