Noites de Lua Cheia

Sure, other artists, countless others, have spent their lives depicting the interrelationships of men and women. But I don't know of anyone who so consistently seems to understand human relationships than Eric Rohmer. So few can build as believable characters, such believable situations. Full Moon in Paris concerns a young woman, Louise (Pascale Ogier), who has arrived at a point of extreme confusion: she loves her long-time boyfriend, Rémi (Tchéky Karyo), but she desperately wants to be alone for once in her life. Rémi likes his life the way he has it, living in the suburbs, doing his job, coming home to Louise. But it's all too stifling for her. She rents an apartment in Paris, but that only partly steadies her mind. Louise also has another, more ambiguous boyfriend, Octave (Fabrice Luchini, who appears in several Rohmer films and stars in my very favorite, Perceval le Gallois). Their relationship is definitely on the romantic side, but both seem to be in it, at least most of the time, for each other's company. They can talk, where Rémi isn't an especially gifted conversationalist (not a good character trait if you're in a Rohmer film!). The film moves along as well as any Rohmer film, but for a long time I was pretty sure that Rohmer wouldn't be able to end it in any significant way, that it would end up being a great film (like I say, I couldn't find one of his films any less), but not one of his best. Fortunately, Rohmer really does find the perfect ending, which ends up lifting the film up and making it one of the director's best. The film really benefits from its perfectly written characters and amazing acting, as well. Ogier gives one of the strongest central performances in Rohmer's canon. Fabrice Luchini, man, I love this actor! He stars in my favorite Rohmer film and has a small roll in my second favorite (the vastly underrated 4 Adventures of Reinette and Mirabelle from 1987). Luchini is so perfect here, so subtly hilarious that most will not notice it. During one of Octave's many conversations with Louise, he rattles off a really good line and has to stop to write it down. Louise understandingly excuses herself to the restroom to give him time to get his quip recorded. 9/10.

"But Louise cannot have her cake and eat it too, she is over-confident in rationalizing her and Remi's situation, openly suggesting that their relationship can be terminated if they find someone else whom they love more, only to be hoisted by her own petard, after finally bringing a random guy to her pied-à-terre, Louise has a rude awakening on this night of full moon, that she has finally gotten over with meaningless sex, and it is Remy, their home in the banlieue beckon her, however, Rohmer makes it clear that it is not just she who has the say-so in this precarious relationship, but at the very least, she has some place to return to when her entire world crumbles down."

read my full review on my blog: cinema omnivore, thanks

If I had only one director's films to live with I would choose Rohmer. If I had to reduce his output to ten I would choose all of the six that make up the ' Comedies and Proverbs ' series, plus a couple from his ' Four Seasons ' and a couple from his ' Moral Tales. ' Les nuits de la pleine lune ' the fourth in his ' Comedies and Proverbs ' is his most tragic, and bears endless watching. It shows how an emotional house cannot be a divided one. As simple and as complex as that. Pascale Ogier is excellent in the role of a young woman who must live quite literally in two places; one with her partner in the suburbs, the other in Paris. She wants freedom and she wants to be attached and during the night of a full moon this situation comes to a climax. It is tragic because the outcome is not her choice, and I for one feel that this will be repeated again and again. She loves to be admired and wanted, and yet she is not at all promiscuous. I was struck too by the decors of both places and Rohmer's use of colour. Blue predominates. In her place in Paris she decorates it herself, and in her partner's place she seems to have only a small amount of choice. I could try to interpret the meaning of this, and also the meaning of the full moon which seems as meaningful as the sun in ' Le Rayon Vert ' also in the same series, but I will not indulge in analysis. I will only mention one observation; the moon is a sort of cold madness, while the sun in ' Le Rayon Vert ' and the experience of witnessing the elusive Green Ray before the sun sets promises the warmth of love. As usual Rohmer's choice of actors is perfect and that his dialogue is rich and clear. Why is he my favourite director ? That too is a mystery to me. I want to keep it that way because if I explained it to myself I might lose the magic of his films.

I've seen this film four times. I've lived in Paris on two occations. I speak mediocre French. I'm a Francophile of sorts. I love most of Rohmer's films, but this one's special. I forced me to think of what I love in women the most. It's a crazy thing, but I identified with Louise, feeling her feelings. Took me years to sort it out. Someone said once that if you like a work of art, just enjoy it, don't analyze it. Louise is my piece of art. I adored her like one would adore a beautiful painting or a song. You don't have to understand something to love it! The funny thing here is that Louise couldn't understand herself either! Reason and intellect move on rails, emotions fly and flow. Rohmer created the perfect movie which lets us peek deep into human paradoxes. 10/10.

I enjoy this film very much. Rohmer as a way to describe feelings, to describe how those feelings can get all twisted sometimes. Love and the numerous questions it brings is well put to light. Books, smart funny talks and more... Pascale Ogier is superb. As for Fabrice Luchini, he's one of my favorite actor. He performs so well in this kind of role. And the name "Octave" fits him like a glove!

Out of 100, I gave it 81. That's good for *** out of ****.

Seen at home, in Toronto, on January 14, 2003.