Le beau mariage

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.

Witty/romantic comedy. Headstrong/out-spoken Sabine (Béatrice Romand), working on her thesis in Art History, has tired of affairs with married men, such as Simon (Féodor Atkine). Playing Cupid, her confidante Clarisse (Arielle Dombasle) introduces her lawyer cousin Edmond (André Dusollier) to Sabine. Encouraged by Clarisse, Sabine impetuously decides that she will marry Edmond and tells her mother (Thamila Megrah) and sister Lise (Sophie Renoir). When confronted by Sabine, Edmond resorts to an astonishing/glib double-talk to explain why he is not ready for matrimony.

Béatrice Romand was the delightful/ talkative teen ager in ‘71 Claire's Knee, and commitment-shy widow in '98 Autumn Tale; Dusollier, in the whimsical '75 And Now My Love. Arielle Dombasle has appeared in many films, starting as a seductive beauty. Féodor Atkine played a somewhat slimy character in '83 Pauline on the Beach.

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.

Rohmer likes his morals and the moral for me here is how moving from one stage in life to another can't be forced. We can't decide to be in a different 'place' in life on a whim, without doing the maturing first. There's no short-cut. The cringeworthy party scene is perhaps the telling scene. Not just because of Sabine's inability to crawl out from childish ways, but equally Edmond's inability to cast his mind back to a time when he was giddy and foolish and work didn't matter. The supporting cast - friend Claude, Mother and the antiques dealer all have wisdom that comes through experience, but they know better than to waste too much breath with logic that headstrong Sabine is not ready for. A rites of passage, "find-out-the-hard-way" movie that's not as slight as first glances might suggest.

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