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Stripped down to its essential plotline, "Les Dames Du Bois De Boulogne" (1945) is not very different from the Hollywood melodramas of its time starring, say, Bette Davis, Henry Fonda and Joan Fontaine. What sets it apart from them is its intelligence, and the occasional poetic flair in the dialogue (most likely the contribution of co-writer Jean Cocteau). It also has a stunningly modern heroine, played by the captivating Elina Labourdette (who obviously must have had some real-life professional dance background), and a moving finale. If it is not like the Robert Bresson films that followed it....that's not necessarily a bad thing. *** out of 4.

"Paris Nous Appartient" (1961) aka "Paris Belongs To Us" has a nominal mystery plot (did Juan, whom we never see, commit suicide or was he murdered? And if so, by whom?), but it is too cryptic and meandering (not to mention way overlong at 135 minutes) to work as a mystery. At the same time, the characters and dialogues are not interesting enough for the movie to work as anything else, either. It took a few years for Rivette to really find his cinematic footing; with that said, the film does include, as the title promises, some great shots of Paris! ** out of 4.