9 songs - Unrated Full Uncut Version

Amazon.com

Maverick director Michael Winterbottom wondered about the double standard of why novels can have explicit sex scenes and be legit and films could not. So his short film of a relationship based solely on sex and a love for music is the result of that thought. If the definition of a porn film is to shoot actors performing graphic sex scenes for real, then 9 Songs qualifies. It certainly doesn't feel or look like your standard whoopdee-do XXX feature. It's as glossy and low-budget arty as Winterbottom's 24 Hour Party People or I Want You. But yeah, Matt and Lisa do everything to each other, and the actors are not "just acting" in some of the sex scenes. No matter how landmark the movie might be, there is not much story here (at least a book with hot sex often has a good story to it). Lisa is an American drifter in London who hooks up with Matt, a scientist who studies glaciers in Antarctica. They have sex and visit nine rock concerts including Franz Ferdinand and The Dandy Warhols. As advertised, you can't find these musical performances anywhere else, but we just see them from way back in the crowd. The film has an essence of how someone can find bliss in another person's body, and the emotional, magical weight that can hold over you. But that spell doesn't last. Since the sex is real, Winterbottom had to cast unknown actors, and they really don't make an impression, especially with the lack of story. --Doug Thomas

Description

Matt, a young glaciologist, soars across the vast, silent, icebound immensities of the South Pole as he recalls his love affair with Lisa. They meet at a mobbed rock concert in a vast music hall - London's Brixton Academy. They are in bed at night's end. Together, over a period of several months, they pursue a mutual sexual passion whose stages unfold in counterpoint to nine live-concert songs. Featuring nine live concert performances not available anywhere else by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Von Bondies, Elbow, Primal Scream, The Dandy Warhols, Super Furry Animals, Franz Ferdinand and Michael Nyman. Special features include a Concert Performance-only option.

Customer Reviews:

Good Fun.......2007-09-13

This movie was a lot of fun for me. The music was great and the way they filmed the performances made you feel like you were there. There are some real sex scenes that kind of made me feel like I was a spying on the couple, but it was appropriately done. It didn't feel like porn at all and made me wonder, what makes porn porn?

Interesting premise, thin execution.......2007-09-13

I keep wanting to like movies like 9 Songs and Shortbus because I believe in the idea of them...but the reality doesn't ever live up to the concept. Yes, it's nice to see someone at least *try* to deal with sex -- real, actual sex -- in film. I only wish the story supporting the sex in 9 Songs wasn't so thin and forgettable.

The main problem I had was not caring about the characters. We get no real sense of them -- why do they even like each other? What is the attraction besides being physically nice to look at? Without any sense of that, watching them have sex never rises above the level of spectacle -- it's interesting insofar as there is some novelty in watching people actually have sex without the self-conscious and moronic trappings of standard-issue porn -- but I never felt moved or connected. And that's a pity.

I also wish the concert footage were better shot because there are some excellent bands and good songs featured. Oh well.

What do you call a movie with lots of sex but no plot?.......2007-09-06

9 Songs (2004) is a British film depicting the "love story" of Matt (Kieran O'Brien), a climatologist, and Lisa (Margo Stilley), an American exchange student, told from hindsight as Matt travels to the Antarctic. Matt and Lisa share common interests of sex, drugs, and rock & roll. That is the extent of their connection. Unfortunately, a movie based solely on sex, drugs, and rock & roll does not equate to a meaningful film experience. What the film lacks in plot and meaningful dialogue, it attempts to make up for with sex and more sex, all of which is explicit and unsimulated. Concert footage of the bands performing the following nine songs upstage the film's graphic sex scenes:

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, "Whatever Happened To My Rock And Roll"
Von Bondies, "C'mon, C'mon""
Elbow, "Fallen Angel"
Primal Scream, "Movin' On Up"
Dandy Warhols, "You Were The Last High"
Super Furry Animals, "Slow Life"
Franz Ferdinand, "Jacqueline"
Michael Nyman, "Nadia"
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, "Love Burns"

For a movie that strives to be a "love story," where's the love? Where's the story? You can dismiss me as a film snob, but is it too much to expect a plot in a mainstream movie? For better sex, drugs, and rock & roll mainstream films, check out High Fidelity and Almost Famous. And for erotic cinema with a plot, check out Catherine Breillat.

G. Merritt

So I liked the music...and!.......2007-08-28

If you are looking for award winning writing, directing and acting look elsewhere. On the other hand if you enjoy a film with a good modern soundtrack, gratuitous sex and a story that while not deep comes across real life...you'll like this one too.

One damn awful film!.......2007-07-03

Please, dont anyone tell me this is some erotic Romeo and Juliet, dont anyone complain about this film being 'too explicit' this film is bad because.....well it is just plain awful.

Two ugly students, one an American with an accent so anoying that it makes you want to punch her the second an Englishman so boring you wish he would fall down one of those glaciers he is exploring meet up, go to so called 'indie' shows down the Brixton academy, have sex a few times, make a pathetic attempt to take drugs, argue a bit, then brake up. Just about sums up the film.

If this is what anyone realy considers a good plot consider putting a gun to your head and putting yourself out of your misery. So what there are '9 songs' in the film and that is some kind of clever link to the title, so what? If anyone thinks two half starved students engaging in sex is erotic well.....er each to their own I guess.

In this world the director used amature actors, I hear in Road to Guantanimo he did the same. I can only asume that in 9 songs he used the same format because these two planks cant possibly be professional actors. I even watched the extra footage which included an interview with the main actress who is even more anoying in real life than she is when she is making her poor attempt at acting.

Awful film, avoid at all costs. I shudder at the thought of this film as I write this review.

Average customer rating:

High five plus one
Great Movie
Light-hearted adventurous romantic comedy.
six days and seven nightd
Six Days, Seven Nights

Six Days, Seven Nights
Starring: Harrison Ford , Anne Heche , David Schwimmer , Jacqueline Obradors , and Temuera Morrison
Director: Ivan Reitman
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 6305213283
Release Date: 1998-12-08

Amazon.com

The African Queen meets Swept Away in this sometimes labored romantic comedy by director Ivan Reitman. Fortunately, he cast an old pro in Harrison Ford, as Quinn Harris, a South Seas charter pilot who must ferry New York fashion editor Robin Monroe (Anne Heche) from one island to another--a hop that falls flat when they fly into a mammoth storm that causes them to crash on a deserted island. The pair resent and resist each other, until they are forced to team up to escape from the island--and some modern pirates who want their heads. If that part of the story is unconvincing, you can always focus on the smoldering comic chemistry between Heche, who displays strong comic instincts, and the ever-reliable Ford. The script is just an excuse for these two flinty characters to strike increasingly romantic sparks off each other, which is always enjoyable to watch. --Marshall Fine

Description

Big-screen favorite Harrison Ford stars in this nonstop adventure hit about a dream vacation that turns into a hilarious tropical nightmare! A gruff, rough-hewn cargo pilot living in the islands, Quinn Harris (Ford) hates tourists ... though he's not above making a fast buck from a sharp-tongued New Yorker, Robin Monroe (sexy Anne Heche -- VOLCANO, WAG THE DOG), when she's desperate for a quick flight to Tahiti! But this already uneasy relationship suddenly takes a nosedive when his weather-beaten old plane is forced down in a storm! Now, stranded together on a deserted isle, Quinn and Robin quickly discover all the perils of paradise. As this mismatched pair find themselves facing danger at every turn, you're sure to find their misfortunes fueling one of Hollywood's most entertaining action-comedy hits in years!

Customer Reviews:

High five plus one.......2007-08-07

This movie is a scream! I laughed so hard during the xanax scene I had to hit pause to dry my eyes, talk about a mental muargarita this video delivers. It's all fun and no downers. Pick this up sometime when you're feeling blue and forget about it!

Great Movie.......2007-05-01

Movie arrived in great time from seller. I was very happy! We love this movie and recommend it to anyone looking for some good entertainment.

Light-hearted adventurous romantic comedy........2007-02-14

This is a well-cast movie. The actors and actresses work well together; they were perfect; there were no weak points.

This movie is so much fun to watch, that I'm surprised not to find Harrison Ford and Anne Heche playing in other movies together. The chemistry they emit is refreshing. Anne Heche seems to have an innate ability for her timing with humor. She's good, very good. The viewer can't help but be roped into the action segments. You are there.

Also, it was wonderful to watch the athletic prowess that Harrison and Anne showed at work, play, and in the adventurous portions of the movie.

six days and seven nightd.......2007-01-18

one of the last good comidies that isnt outragously stupid.

Six Days, Seven Nights.......2007-01-10

I really loved the movie because how Harrison Ford and Anne Heche played so well together. David Schwimmer was very comical also. It had humor, action and adventure. It would be a very good buy to add to your movie collection.

Average customer rating:

"The Motion Of Demetrius' Heart" ~ Obsession And Misdirection Under The Guise Of Love
A masterpiece that was the basis for disaster...
it's the characters, not the story
An exellent film
French Hitchcock

The Apartment
Starring: Romane Bohringer , Vincent Cassel , Jean-Philippe Écoffey , Monica Bellucci , and Sandrine Kiberlain
Director: Gilles Mimouni
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
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ASIN: B000FWHW68
Release Date: 2006-08-22

Customer Reviews:

"The Motion Of Demetrius' Heart" ~ Obsession And Misdirection Under The Guise Of Love.......2007-07-15

Note: French with English subtitles.

Synopsis: Vincent Cassel and Monica Bellucci play two star-crossed lovers whose attempts to reunite after an unintential two year separation are constantly thwarted by fate and the devious actions of a third party determined to keep them apart.

Critique: Released in '96, `The Apartment' receives the highest marks on every level. First of all, two of my favorite French stars head the cast; Vincent Cassel (Max) and Monica Bellucci (Lisa), which is further complimented by a magnificent performance by Romane Bohringer (Alice). The cinematography is superb, artistically capturing the urban, Parisian terrain which seems to ooze from the screen. The camera skillfully captures the spirit of this legendary city and the atmosphere of the landscape incorporating that romantic ambience into the separated lovers Max and Lisa. The soundtrack is melodic, melancholy and apprehensive, a perfect fit for the taut, expertly constructed plot unfolding layer by complex layer on the screen before the viewer. The storyline is unbelievable intricate, flashing back and forth between the past and present with each time shift unveiling some new secret, some previously unsuspected nuance to the story that seems to change everything you had known and understood up to that point.

`The Apartment' is first class entertainment from beginning to end and believe me when the end finally arrives you'll be taken totally by surprise just as I was. This is a classic that definitely can be watched again and again. Buy it and save yourself from repeat rental fees.

A masterpiece that was the basis for disaster..........2007-06-24

L'Appartment is truly a French movie worth watching and one of those films that should never have been remade made into an "English" equivalent.

The acting from the principle characters are superb (Bohringer, Cassel, and Bellucci). I will agree with the others of the Hitchcock-esque, it's one of those movies where you should pay attention so as not to miss the most minute detail.

I'm not able to comment on the DVD quality since I've got a bootleg. :o)

As for it's American counterpart, Wicker Park, treat it like the plague and watch the original version because Harnett is no Cassel, by any stretch of imagination.

it's the characters, not the story.......2007-06-14

Most of the time it seems I will rent a movie for the actors. If I like the actor, I usually like the movie. And I need to care about the characters. If I don't care for the characters, I don't care for the movie. I rented this because Monica Bellucci was in it, but what made my day was Romaine Bohringer. She's not a household name over here, but, let's just say, I like her a lot.

An exellent film.......2007-04-29

Not sure about the complaints about the quality of the DVD as I come from Europe I have that version (So I guess we got one up on you there) I have had no problems with the subtitles or sound quality and this film realy is truely exellent. If there are such problems they you realy need to buy the European version as this is one of the best films you are likely to see.

It has so many twists and turns that to go into any detail about the film would simply spoil it for you. Describing it as 'Hitchcock' in style is probably the best description I can think of. The acting is superb with both Vincent Cassel and Monica Bellucci at their best (Bellucci rarely does have a poor day in the office when it comes to her acting)

Exellent film highly recomended.

French Hitchcock.......2007-04-08

This is a stunning romance thriller. It breathes like Hitchcock. After watching it I went back to the beginning of the film when the jeweler asked Max (Vincent Cassel) which of the three beautiful rings (how he described them) he will choose. Max will think about it and we find out who he choose at the end of the film. He's not sure about his engagement to Muriel when he overheard the voice of his lost love Lisa (Monica Bellucci). From there on he must find her and find out why she has left him two years ago without a word. He finds clues which may lead him to an unsuspecting surprise. The music and camera work is excellent as you follow the characters throughout and the story keeps you thinking.

Average customer rating:

a mixed bag
Great - even with a Hollywood ending!
Great movie
Boring Ending....And Not A Surprise
A Reason Why Hollywood Remakes Are Genrally a Bad Idea

The Vanishing
Starring: Jeff Bridges , Kiefer Sutherland , Nancy Travis , Sandra Bullock , and Park Overall
Director: George Sluizer
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
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ASIN: B0002IQLHQ
Release Date: 2004-09-07

Amazon.com

It's not unusual for Hollywood to remake European hits. What is unusual is the director of the original getting the chance to helm the new version with an American cast, which is what happened with this film based on an intensely creepy Dutch film of the same name (both directed by George Sluizer). Kiefer Sutherland and Sandra Bullock are on vacation when, while stopped at a crowded rest area, she disappears. He devotes the next several years to discovering what happened to her, ruining his life in the process. When he does get a clue, it leads him to Jeff Bridges, who plays a bizarre and highly organized individual whose motives are almost as strange as he is. Bridges is spooky, but Sluizer ultimately is undone by Hollywood's demand for a happy ending, which makes this film affecting but far less unsettling than the original. --Marshall Fine

Description

In this riveting, tension-filled psychological thriller, a young woman (Sandra Bullock) mysteriously disappears, sending her boyfriend Jeff (Kiefer Sutherland) on a years-long quest to find her. Not even a new love (Nancy Travis) can keep him from his obsessive search. All the while, the calculating psychopath (Jeff Bridges) who kidnapped his girlfriend stalks Jeff, ultimately taking him through the exact same steps that led to the crime. In order to find out what happened, Jeff must put his own life in the hands of this devious stranger.

Customer Reviews:

a mixed bag.......2007-07-27

i personally found the original version of" the vanishing " to be something of a letdown , it played like a long , sadistic episode of the twilight zone . so you'd think i'd just love the hollywood-ized remake , but it too is somewhat flawed . shifting the focus in the beginning of the film to the killer might have SEEMED like a good idea , but it doesn't really add much . on the other hand the performances here are all really terrific , especially sandra bullock in one of the first roles she really attracted attention with . but the conclusion of the film is sort of protracted and tiresome , and like i said , focusing so much attention on the killer early on in the film creates a sort of imbalance that throws the material off-whack . still it's not without interest and fans of the 4 actors will want to see it .

Great - even with a Hollywood ending!.......2007-07-12

I am usually the first one to complain when Hollywood remakes great European films (what's up with this Catherine Zeta-Jones remake of "Mostly Martha" by the way?????) - but you have to admit, sometimes the American film has a fresh take on things ("Cousins" comes to mind as an improved American remake). So yes, this film does provide vengeance/resolution/good guys win, which Americans crave, but it also provides some insight that is in my opinion worth the rewrite.

What do I mean? The character of Rita, and how her worldview is juxtaposed against Jeff's. He wallows, he obsesses, and he therefore doesn't see the big picture. She is not a victim, she has agency - she will not go down without a fight, figuratively or literally, with Jeff or with Barney. I love watching her piece the whole thing together, and I love watching her interact with Barney in a totally different way from Jeff. True, we can't expect Barney's games to work on her in the same way, but in any case, I enjoyed watching Rita come to terms with what's going on.

Good thriller, leaves you thinking about all the characters.

Great movie.......2007-03-11

..i saw some of this movie on cable a while back, but didn't watch the whole thing because i missed the beginning so i brought it here. I'm surprised i had never heard of this flick before as it's very well acted and a nice suspeseful thriller for those into that genre.

Boring Ending....And Not A Surprise.......2007-02-12

This American version of the movie too predictable. Doesn't fit the title of "suspense." If you want a TRUE thriller, buy the Dutch version of this movie! That version is captioned, but you are so taken in by the storyline, you won't even realize it. The American version of "The Vanishing" was softened up for American audiences.....the Dutch version is not, and the ending is even more shocking!

A Reason Why Hollywood Remakes Are Genrally a Bad Idea.......2007-01-31

Occasionally, when a foreign film gets a lot of press Hollywood takes notice and does an English-language remake of the film. This has an upside and a downside. The "up" is that a film that many American audiences wouldn't have seen, they might be intrigued enough to see after watching the remake. The "down" is that the remake usually offends the people who have seen the original. The 1988 Danish version of "The Vanishing" was a creepy, intelligent, well-acted, and entertaining film with a terrific ending. When I took an interest in the film, all I read about was the ending. Since it was built up so much for me, it was kind of disappointing at first. Days later, I found myself dwelling on the ending and on the actor who played the kidnapper Bernard Pierre Donnadieu. It was really stuff that chilled you to the bone. A mere 5 years after the original, Hollywood called on the original director George Sluizer to direct the remake. It sounds like a recipe for success, but it really isn't. First off, this version isn't as bad as it's made to be. It's just that it has the same feel as any other Hollywood thriller and is missing a lot of key elements that made the original so special. The plot is the same; A man named Jeff (Kiefer Sutherland) and his wife Diane (Sandra Bullock) are vacationing, when they stop at a gas station. Diane goes into the store and never comes out. We're introduced to her kidnapper Barney (Jeff Bridges) and learn things about him, then we find out that the story is now taking place three years later and Jeff is still searching for Diane. Then the remake throws us a curveball. A character, whose part was so minute in the original, suddenly becomes a major player. Enter Rita (Nancy Travis, an actress who inhabited many films in the '90s and has now, um, vanished), Jeff's girlfriend. In the original, the girlfriend was established as being faithful to Jeff but unable to cope with his obsession in finding the other woman. In the middle of the film, she left. Here, she is in the entire thing. The film deceives us by leading us down the same road as the original and to the same climax. Then we enter Hollywood territory and everything is pretty predictable from there. The film goes wrong in many ways. As I said, the original was creepy, intelligent, well acted, and entertaining. The remake is well acted and entertaining, while the former is questionable. Now I'm going to ramble on about the problems with this remake. The film does not establish how in love Jeff and Diane are. We meet them and she's gone. The original did a lot better of a job establishing their love for each other, making them seem like people rather than puppets. Many plot elements have disappeared. In the original, the "Jeff" character took a picture of "Diane" from afar, a picture, which showed the kidnapper. That doesn't happen here. In the original, the kidnapper attempts to meet the "Jeff" character but always backs out. Not here. The other problem is that many scenes here are laughable. I almost cried when Jeff beats up Barney, then there's the scene where Barney sneezes into a handkerchief he has just doused with chloroform. Then there's Jeff Bridges. Bridges' performance is sooo campy. It has it's moments, but his voice sounds like Dr. Evil and the way he talks makes it sound like he's reading off of cue cards. Sutherland and Travis are good though. The film, without comparing it to the original, isn't that great alone. It's good, enjoyable, but if it wasn't a remake I'd be disappointed. The ending is a complete insult to the viewers' intelligence. Instead of ending with a bang, it ends with a pathetic attempt at humor. I highly recommend a fan of cinema sees the original, but this is optional. You'll be entertained for a couple hours, but you'll be pissed off at what they've done.

GRADE: C+

Average customer rating:

Great movie!
Fun, upbeat, sassy romantic comedy with a Sacramento backdrop
Cute romantic comedy with a non-Hollywood vibe

Her Minor Thing
Starring: Kathy Griffin , Victoria Jackson , Michael Weatherly , Ivana Milicevic , and Estella Warren
Director: Charles Matthau
Manufacturer: First Look Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000GIW9GO
Release Date: 2007-01-16

Customer Reviews:

Great movie!.......2007-08-12

Bought the movie for Christian Kane and Michael Weatherly and wasn't disappointed. Would recommend it to anyone.

Fun, upbeat, sassy romantic comedy with a Sacramento backdrop.......2007-02-26

Great guy gets girl and vice versa with lots of twists and turns and smart, sassy comedic interludes. A great movie when you get together with your girlfriends...and guys like it too...but they might not admit it!

I love all the Sacramento backdrops..a great movie if you live in Sac because you can pick out lots of venues.

Cute romantic comedy with a non-Hollywood vibe.......2007-02-13

Jeana (Estella Warren) has never quite made it over the threshold and had sex. When things get a little heated with new boyfriend Tom (Michael Weatherly of "NCIS"), Sacramento's hot newscaster, she admits her virginity. Stunned, he blurts it out over the air while prepping for a story, and to Jeana's horror, she is a laughingstock at work, the pro-virginity gurus want her as a poster girl, the media won't leave her alone, and men keep coming up to offer to make a woman out of her. Then she meets quiet photographer Paul (Christian Kane), who works with Tom but has no idea that the sexy new gal he is friends with was in a relationship with a blowhard like Tom.

Meanwhile, Jeana wants to get her hands on the cruise tickets to Brazil to keep Tom from going on her dream vacation with someone else. Ever the arrogant jerk, Tom figures she wants to go with him. Will Jeana find out that Paul is aware of her secret? Will Tom's vacuous Russian ex Zsa Zsa accompany him on the cruise? The supporting cast includes former SNL player Victoria Jackson as a travel agent and the ever annoying Kathy Griffin as a lawyer in need of a muzzle.

Filmed entirely on location in California's capital city, the setting gives it a more realistic, non-Hollywood vibe. Overall, it is a cute and breezy romantic comedy, directed by Charles Matthau, son of the late Walter. The younger Matthau has a small role as one of Jeana's potential lovers.

Average customer rating:

Watch it for Dolores Gray & Jack Cole!
The Original Sex and the City
Tremendously funny
Great Vincent Minnelli Comedy comes to WideScreen DVD !
Woefully dated

Designing Woman
Starring: Gregory Peck , Lauren Bacall , Dolores Gray , Sam Levene , and Tom Helmore
Director: Vincente Minnelli
Manufacturer: Turner Home Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005U2KJ
Release Date: 2002-02-05

Amazon.com essential video

Anyone who thinks that Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus is a cutting-edge idea will be surprised by Designing Woman, a 1957 comedy starring Gregory Peck as a sports writer who falls madly in love with fashion designer Lauren Bacall. The twofold plot springs from a combination of Bacall's jealous efforts to learn the identity of Peck's previous lover and Peck's reckless exposé of a gangster who rigs boxing matches--but the movie's real enjoyment comes from its depiction of the athletic and arts worlds, each spun as a reflection of the male and female mind, respectively. While Peck and Bacall aren't noted for their comic chops, they acquit themselves respectably; Bacall has the more flamboyant role, but Peck draws low-key humor from his character's smug and blinkered perceptions. Designing Woman is directed by Vincente Minnelli (who also directed Meet Me in St. Louis, An American in Paris, and Gigi), so it's not surprising that the movie flares most to life during a few musical sequences--sneaked into the plot because Bacall has been commissioned to design a Broadway show, whose star just happens to be Peck's former paramour--culminating in a back-alley fight staged as a brawling ballet. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

Watch it for Dolores Gray & Jack Cole!.......2002-09-17

This movie might have been tangier with Hepburn & Tracy, but it has some nice moments. Minelli was a stylish director & it shows here. But the real treat for those of us who remember the great 50s musicals of Hollywood & Broadway was the presence of Dolores Gray and Jack Cole, sadly quite limited here. Ms. Gray in this film and in It's Always Fair Weather & Kismet could blow the roof off with her magnificent voice and presence. Jack Cole was one of the great dancers and choreographers of that era - a major influence on many choreographers who followed. This film is a special gem for preserving some fine examples of work by these two great performers.

The Original Sex and the City.......2002-06-29

In this film, Lauren Bacall hilariously portrays the quintessential high-society, high-fashion New Yorker. While on a trip to Beverly Hills, she meets and spontaneously marries the wonderful Gregory Peck - an unassuming sports writer who has no idea exactly what he's married into. Upon their return to New York, Peck's character discovers he's married the darling of New York society as his wife is a renowned designer (think Edith Head or Helen Rose). What ensues is hilarious encounters between her society coterie and his down-home group of blue-collar writers, setting up perfectly for the witty repartee between Bacall and Peck that defines the movie. The film culminates in a fashion show-boxing rumble, once again intersecting the seemingly divergent lives of Bacall and Peck.

"Designing Woman" is a wonderful movie that gives ample opportunity for the magnificent Gregory Peck to show off his comedic skills, however subtly. I saw this film after "Roman Holiday" and it cemented my image of Peck as a dashing and charming leading man who brings out the comedic best in his leading ladies. The chemistry between Bacall and Peck is evident throughout the movie and is a testament to the adage "Opposites do attract."

This is a complete, well-told story with a solid set of supporting characters. This movie is for all those people looking for that rare superb romantic comedy. The delightful depiction of New York society makes us nostalgic for the days before the Hilton sisters.

Tremendously funny.......2002-05-17

I love Gregory Peck. I love him as the serious, morally righteous attorney, the dashing naval captain, you name it. So, really, I should have known that he could pull off a comedic role as well. No one, I don't think, could have known how well he'd pull it off.

From his first hilarious hangover to the last "cross-eyed" fight scene, Peck is enchanting. He's completely believable in his role as a sports writer caught up in a new world of dresses and strange choreographers intruding on his poker night. And perhaps it's because he's not known as a comedic actor that he's all the more funny.

Designing Woman seems to be a little known film, but I'm certainly glad I found it because it kept me laughing, which brought others into the room to watch it with me. Now I just wish that Peck had made more movies like this.

Great Vincent Minnelli Comedy comes to WideScreen DVD !.......2002-02-16

The great director Vincent Minnelli (Gigi, American in Paris & Meet Me in St. Louis) does an outstanding job presenting us with the 50's comedy "Designing Woman". Lauren Bacall is gorgeous in the lead and with a rare comedic performance gives us a great movie. Her leading man Gregory Peck also in a rare comedic role pulls it off masterfully under the direction of Minnelli.

This Warner Brothers DVD is very nicely done. The movie & color quality is outstanding and the WideScreen presentation fills the screen with the stars personalities. DVD Extras include a Trailer & behind-the-scenes mini documentary featuring the Costume Designer Helen Rose.

Summary: New York High Society Designing Woman (Bacall - is outstanding) meets a New York Newspaper Sports Writer (Gregory Peck - a nice change & he was delightful) at the Beverly Hills Hotel, California while on their respective assignments. After a shakey start, fall madly in love and in a few days marry.
As they return to the "Big Apple" the real adventure begins. The original Odd Couple now realize they both had separate lives and different committments. How they deal with the transition is real Hollywood humor and with the philosophy of the 1950's there must be a happy ending after they pay their dues. A Great movie!!

A very nice movie showing us the Hollywood and the Big stars we know & love to see. Enjoy.

Woefully dated.......2000-07-21

Superb cast, master director, good screwball premise, and......pfffft! This odd-couple comedy is skewered by its smirking view of sex roles, whereby the mink-clad heroine will go faint at a boxing match (is this Lauren Bacall?), and her macho mate will question the masculinity of a Broadway choreographer. And I'm afraid we can't share in the delight the film takes in making sport of a punch-drunk, washed-up boxer. (Now we know punch-drunk means brain-damaged). Notable only for the saucy performance of Dolores Gray, and an alley fight scene where the incredibly fey (but agile) Jack Cole knocks out an entire screen full of hoods. Otherwise, a misfire.

Average customer rating:

Fellini Meets Rob Reiner
A romping good time!
A Pre-"Just Jack" Sean Hayes on a Modest Journey of Self-Discovery
Treasure
I like Poloroids

Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss
Starring: Sean Hayes , Brad Rowe , Richard Ganoung , Meredith Scott Lynn , and Matthew Ashford
Director: Tommy O'Haver
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
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ASIN: 1573624381
Release Date: 1998-12-22

Amazon.com

First-time director Tommy O'Haver garnered a lot of critical acclaim for this contribution to the "new queer cinema." But he seems more clued in as to its weight than the reviewers. O'Haver rightly calls Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss a Tommy O'Haver "trifle" in the credits and he's on the money in estimating what his film is worth. For sure, the movie has much going for it; it's wholeheartedly enjoyable and packed with the usual dynamic that saturates most gay-themed films: what does one do when that object of desire is heterosexual? In this case O'Haver at least gives his protagonist, Billy, played by Sean P. Hayes, another obsession besides the Brad Pitt-lookalike, prophetically named Gabriel, who is enigmatically acted by Brad Rowe. This is because Billy is a photographer, as addicted to finding the perfect picture as the perfect man. His world is formed by old movies: From Here to Eternity and Imitation of Life are his criteria and the flirty foreplay by which to gauge whether or not a love will have stamina and staying power. Of course, Billy is bound to be disappointed by gay-friendly Gabriel, who is struggling in his own way as much as Billy. Full of the usual mix of second-string players who inhabit the gay milieu (e.g., the best female friend who has man trouble of her own, and the older, secure pal who has secretly held Billy in his sights for some time), O'Haver's film breaks the mold by keeping to a dark note. It resembles a Pedro Almodovar spectacle initially with its saturated look and primary-color palette. But three-fourths through, Billy and his gang walk into the contemporary gay equivalent of a Gidget movie. The shift is surprising and even sometimes funny. Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss has a lot going for it, but it's still just a trifle, and not a milestone in the genre. --Paula Nechak

Customer Reviews:

Fellini Meets Rob Reiner.......2007-07-31

Director Tommy O'Haver seems to have been unable to choose between making Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss a no-nonsense romantic comedy or a Fellini epic. (Check out the excellent director's commentary, where he mentions Fellini's Fellini - Satyricon as a potential model.) Whether this is a distraction or part of the movie's charm will depend on the viewer, but either way it's an enjoyable and worthwhile movie.

Although characterized as a "gay film", the dilemma the main character faces will be familiar to everyone in all but the particulars. The reason his cute love interest may or may not be available (is he or isn't he?) isn't important: we've all probably had the experience of falling in love (or lust) with someone who is tantalizingly unavailable to us; we've all probably chased someone who is "wrong" for us and ignored someone who is "right"; and we've probably all been in a situation something like the hysterical bedroom scene.

For those who've only seen Sean Hayes in Will & Grace and had some doubt, the good news is that he apparently can act. Brad Rowe more than adequately fills the eye-candy quota. The musical choices are delightfully eccentric. I'd recommend this movie to almost anyone.

A romping good time!.......2007-06-23

I bought this movie because 1)I LOVE anything Matthew Ashford and 2) Sean Hayes is hysterically funny!

Poor Billy can never seem to catch a break. His career is nosediving and his love life needs a boost. Enter sweet (and sexy) Gabriel who transforms (without ever actually succeeding) in making Billy's dreams come true.

This movie's message is that you don't have to look any further than your own back yard to find your happiness. You might just need to fine-tune a couple of things.

A Pre-"Just Jack" Sean Hayes on a Modest Journey of Self-Discovery.......2007-03-25

There's nothing wrong with a pleasant film about a gay photographer struggling in LA with not only his career but his growing infatuation with a handsome, ambiguous model. Its modesty is its chief appeal and its chief limitation, as screenwriter/director Tommy O'Haver knowingly dubs the 1998 film a trifle in the credits. Cast before he hit big as Jack McFarland in "Will and Grace", Sean Hayes affectingly plays Billy with nary the supercilious flamboyance that has become his TV character's trademark. It's nice to see that he can do more subtle work even if the material doesn't demand much from him. In typical bo-ho LA fashion, Billy is trying to make a career of taking Polaroid snaps that recall classic screen kisses from the silver screen. He meets Gabriel, a waiter and aspiring model who has a girlfriend but gives signals to Billy of a more prurient interest.

The is-he-or-isn't-he dilemma Billy has about Gabriel takes them separately to Catalina where things work out in a way quite unlike any 1950's Hollywood movie, at least the mainstream kind. That's really it. Naturally, there are scenes of lip-syncing drag queens and Billy's movie-inspired fantasies, but it's mostly by-the-numbers stuff. What does work is the way O'Haver does not make it all about sex and reveals characters in a more gradual manner than one would expect given the premise. Brad Pitt look-alike Brad Rowe fulfills the physical requirements of this role as the desired Gabriel, while the rest of the cast perform gamely in stock roles - Meredith Scott Lynn as Billy's best-girl roommate and Paul Bartel as Billy's queenly photography mentor. A nice musical soundtrack has been assembled, while the quickly released DVD unsurprisingly has no extras.

Treasure.......2007-03-13

Have been looking for this movie in Europe for a long time, but it isnt available. Bought it here at a very cheap price. Good acting, good story a feelgoodmovie with a realistic touch I would suggest all Will & Grace fans to see.

I like Poloroids.......2006-11-17

Billy, as aspiring gay photographer who does all his work with a poloroid camera, finds himself attracted to Gabriel, a waiter who he suspects might be straight. One way to find out, and he's attracted enough to try. This film is pretty good and held my attention all the way through. It is not a blockbuster, but contains great casting and acting. Part of the film is backdropped by nice lush landscape. Good sound and picture quality. Sean Hayes and Brad Rowe are both quite good looking which certainly doesn't hurt. I recommend this film to anyone who likes gay based entertainment.

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Essential French cinema: Rohmer's 'L'Ami de mon amie.'
Engaging comedy by Rohmer
A mess of relationships and mistaken situations, that somehow ends turning into an excellent movie...
"L' Ami de mon amie"
"Some things are better left unsaid."

Boyfriends and Girlfriends
Starring: Emmanuelle Chaulet , Sophie Renoir , Anne-Laure Meury , Eric Viellard , and François-Eric Gendron
Director: Eric Rohmer
Manufacturer: Fox Lorber
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ASIN: 157252541X
Release Date: 1999-05-25

Amazon.com

The title of Eric Rohmer's sixth and final film in his Comedies and Proverbs series, Boyfriends and Girlfriends, makes much more sense in its original French form: L'ami de mon amie (The Friend of My Friend). In this series, each stand-alone film is based on a proverb, in this case, "the friends of my friends are my friends." Thus when conservative 24-year-old Blanche (the beautiful and talented Emmanuelle Chaulet) is befriended by wild-child 22-year-old Lea (the exotic Sophie Renoir), they find themselves each tempted by the love interests of the other. Fabien (Eric Viellard) is Lea's long-term beau, into windsurfing and hiking, which fills Lea with ennui; she'd much rather party all night. Blanche is besotted with Alexandre (François-Eric Gendron), a ladies' man who barely acknowledges her existence and who is dating Adrienne (Anne-Laure Meury). But of course, as things always go, Fabien is enamoured with the sporty Blanche, and Alexandre finds Lea irresistible.

In typical Rohmer fashion, the film is heavy on dialogue and light on action. By stripping away the veneer--no unusual camera work, no elaborate settings, no pounding soundtrack--Rohmer is able to effectively focus on the empty lives of the modern suburbanites (they all live in a spanking-clean suburb of Paris, Clergy-Pontoise, where the sparseness of the apartments and streets echoes their lives) and his New Wave influences show in the simple theme, the fickle nature of the heart. Yet his characters are immensely likable and their situations comical and ordinary enough for the viewer to relate to. This is an excellent entry into the world of Eric Rohmer for the New Wave neophyte and a refreshing, lighter outing for those who are already fans. --Jenny Brown

Customer Reviews:

Essential French cinema: Rohmer's 'L'Ami de mon amie.'.......2007-08-02

Éric Rohmer (1920) first challenged traditional Hollywood cinema with his French New Wave cycle of films, "Six Moral Tales," which he completed in 1972 before commencing another six-film cycle, "Comedies and Proverbs," each based on a different proverb.

For those new to Rohmer, this film is an excellent starting point. Based on the proverb, "my friends' friends are my friends," Boyfriends and Girlfriends (L'Ami de mon amie, also known as My Girlfriend's Boyfriend) (1987) is the final film in Rohmer's insightful "Comedies & Proverbs" six-film series. It tells the delightful story of beautiful and conservative, 24-year-old Blanche (Emmanuelle Chaulet), who is befriended by the sensual 22-year-old Léa (Sophie Renoir) in the town of Cergy-Pontoise near Paris. Blanche is interested in Alexandre (François-Eric Gendron), who hardly notices her, and Léa is restless in her relationship with her boyfriend Fabien (Eric Viellard). Their lives become complicated when Fabien takes an interest in Blanche, and Alexandre takes an interest in Léa; Blanche and Léa decide to exchange boyfriends. Rich in relationship dialogue, like many of Rohmer's films, Boyfriends and Girlfriends illustrates how the course of love never did run smooth, particularly for his young characters. Hopefully Criterion will remaster Rohmer's "Comedies and Proverbs" series, and then offer it as a boxed collection similar its "Six Moral Tales" boxed set.

G. Merritt

Engaging comedy by Rohmer.......2006-12-16

A young woman, Blanche (the lovely Emmanuelle Chaulet), works in the City Hall of a trendy New Town near Paris (somewhat to his discredit, Rohmer's films tend to occur almost always in middle class and upper middle class milieus, seldom in working class neighborhoods and never in the immigrants building projects). Having recently arrived there, Blanche lives quite a lonely life, until she becomes friends with another young woman, Lea (Sophie Renoir), through which she met her boyfriend Fabien (Eric Viellard), and an acquaintance of the couple, Alexandre (François-Eric Gendron). Basically, the movie follows the time honored plot of exchange of relationships. A is with B, and C with D, but then A will start a liaison with D, which will make C jealous, and would start going with B in revenge and so forth. The title in French is a pun: the boyfriend of my friend would (could) become my boyfriend. Rohmer is known to be a political conservative, but here he is hardly a moralist, since he examines the sexual freedom of today's youth without condemning it. The movie may seem to some to be slow and talky, but these characters are believable and appealing (if somewhat shallow and a bit better looking than ordinary).

A mess of relationships and mistaken situations, that somehow ends turning into an excellent movie..........2006-08-17

"Boyfriends and Girlfriends" (or in its original French title, "L'ami de mon amie", that is, "The friend of my friend") is the sixth film in Eric Rohmer's "Comedies and Proverbs" series, and my favourite so far. This movie is entertaining, and even somewhat funny at times, but it also makes you think about the nature of love, friendship and relationships, giving the spectator food for thought regarding those subjects.

The proverb on which ""Boyfriends and Girlfriends" is based is "Les amis de mes amis sont mes amis" ("the friends of my friends are my friends"). That proverb makes reference to the plot of this movie, something you will only understand fully once you finish watching it. However, I can give you some hints beforehand :)

The two main characters are Blanche (Emmanuelle Chaulet) and Leah (Sophie Renoir), two very different girls that strike a friendship. Blanche is shy, responsible and quiet, she has no boyfriend but likes Alexandre (François-Eric Gendron), an acquaintance of Leah's boyfriend, Fabien (Eric Viellard). Leah, on the other hand, is an outgoing and unconventional woman, accustomed to doing exactly what she feels like doing. She likes her boyfriend, but doesn't think their relationship will last, because they are too different.

Leah wants to help Blanche to begin a relationship with Alexandre, but Alexandre doesn't seem interested in Blanche, even though he pays a lot of attention to Leah, who happens to be exactly the kind of girl he is fond of. Blanche, on the other hand, slowly but steadily starts to realise that she has a lot in common with Fabien, who seems to like her a lot, even too much, if that is possible.

Do those hints seem interesting? Because, truth to be told, they lead to a mess of relationships and mistaken situations, something that somehow ends turning into an excellent movie, with plenty of the kind of dialogues that make Rohmer's films so unique. In my opinion, this is one of Rohmer's best films, and that is no small feat. Highly recommended!

Belen Alcat

"L' Ami de mon amie".......2004-05-31

This review refers to the Fox Lorber DVD World Class Cinema DVD Edition of "Boyfriends and Girlfriends"...

The final entry in Eric Rohmer's series of "Comedies and Proverbs" opens with this simple statement..."My friends' friends are my friends". A simple enough meaning..unless..we are talking matters of the heart. Then things could get a little complicated, as they do in this sweet and endearing French romantic comedy.

"Boyfriends and Girlfriends" from 1987 is one of those wonderful films that has staying power no matter how old it gets. It's a film about relationships...whether they be of a romantic nature or an enduring friendship, we see that times may change, but love, in any language(but especially in French), will always win out.

So in our little circle of friends in this story, we have Blanche and Lea, two young women, who although very different from each other, have become fast friends. There's the handsome and popular Alexandre, who Blanche has her eye on, but seems to be getting no where with, and last but certainly not least is Lea's boyfriend Fabien. Lea's and Fabien's romance is a little rocky, on the outs one second and hopelessly in love the next.
So far so good?....Now the fun begins...The gals tempt the fates,each devloping an attachment to the other's love, (this is where the matters of the heart get a little complicated), and who will wind up with who is anybody's guess!

The young stars(including Emmanuelle Chaulet and Sophie Renoir) are enchanting and will captivate your heart, as they try to work things out for themselves. Eric Rohmer's subtle wittiness, and his feel for human nature will leave you smiling.

Fox Lorber has brought to us some fabulous films in it's World Class Cinema Collection. This is one of them. The DVD includes filmographies, and English subtitles(which do not have the option to turn off).

Merci and enjoy...Laurie

"Some things are better left unsaid.".......2004-02-29

In the French film, "Boyfriends and Girlfriends" Blanche works for the Cultural Affairs office in a small urban town. She's 24 years old and single. One lunchtime, she meets Lea, a student, who lives with her boyfriend, Fabien. Lea and Blanche--although opposites in many ways, strike up a relationship, and soon they are the very best of friends. Blanche even begins giving Lea swimming lessons. One day, at the local swimming pool, Blanche spots Alexandre, and she's immediately smitten. Apparently, most of the women who come in contact with Alexandre are similarly smitten. He's a notorious ladies' man, but he's also known for his poor taste in women.

Lea immediately begins encouraging Blanche's interest in Alexandre, but at the same time, Lea emphasizes that he's not really Blanche's type. In fact, the more Lea talks about Alexandre, it seems likely that he's more Lea's type--at least she seems to feel the challenge of a relationship with him. Lea is also blatantly dissatisfied with Fabien, and she notes that with Fabien, "all my little games fall flat." Lea is just marking time before they break up.

Rohmer delightfully dissects the difficulties involved in both beginning and ending romantic relationships. The delicate progress of courtship is recorded before the characters even seem to be aware of the new relationships they find themselves in. The uncertainty surrounding Blanche's hopeful and desperate interest in the rather caddish Alexandre is touching. The characters--as always in Rohmer films--create all the interest. As a director, he enters the minds of his characters and studies their motivations through their conversations and their actions.

Blanche is sweet, pert and rather easy-going. Lea is much more elegant, complicated, and harder to please. Alexandre is very much at ease in his elegant skin. He's confident and suave--the complete opposite of the much more sincere Fabien. The film gravitates around the idea that opposites do indeed attract--and knowing one's 'type', does not necessarily lead to making better choices.

Description

Julien (Radwilowicz) is a man who repairs clocks and is in the process of blackmailing a woman known only as Madame X (Brochet). Julien is in love with Marie (Béart), who he once met at a party and has dreamt of ever since. When they bump into each other in the street she too is keen to renew their acquaintance and soon moves into Julien's rambling old house. Slowly, it becomes apparent that there's something strange about Marie. Madame X helps Julien gradually realize that he has to uncover Marie's secret - and by doing so face losing her.

Customer Reviews:

The Story of Marie and Julien .......2007-08-30

*** This comment may contain a spoiler in the last sentence ***

As much as I like the previous Jacques Rivette's movies I've seen, I can't say the same about Marie and Julien. It is gorgeously shot and masterfully directed and 150 minutes long film does not seem too slow - Rivette possesses a secret on how to make every minute interesting and important but the story of Julien who divides his time between blackmailing a mysterious Madam X, fixing the old outsize clocks and trying to figure out the dark secrets and the reasons for a strange behavior of his beloved Marie (Emmanuelle Béart), simply did not move me at all. I could not feel any interest to Jerzy Radziwilowicz's Julien and even if I asked some question in the beginning as how he learned about Madam X secrets or what the clocks had to do with the story or why his cat's name was Nevermore, soon I stopped caring at all. The intimate scenes between him and Marie made me giggle (bad sign, not the reaction I would expect from myself ). I did not see any chemistry between Marie and Julien and it was hard for me to believe in their incredible love that would defy all laws of nature and go beyond the grave.

A Leaden Affair.......2007-03-11

"Histoire de Marie et Julien" is the most solemn movie I have seen in years. It comes complete with heavy-handed symbolism, characters who are wallowing in existential anomie, and all manner of pretentious ambitions. But worst of all, it is devoid of any shred of humor or wit.

What remains? The "mystery" of the tale? Those viewers who find themselves still conscious at the end should have little trouble figuring it out. Rest assured that I take no pleasure in slagging this film; I'd just hate to see anyone waste their time and money on it.

Incredibly Beautiful.......2006-10-04

Subtle and incredibly beautiful. Really makes the heart ache in the end. Dreamlike and reminiscent of Poe, only perhaps more understated. I won'te spoil it by saying anything further, just watch it sometime and stick with it until the end.

Pas de deux, Pas de quatre: A Phenomenal Ghost Story.......2005-08-31

Jacques Rivette is one of the most under appreciated French film directors in history - and one of the most creative. He seems to dwell in a space known only to cinema, a world as changing, transparent, enigmatic, and transient as the camera's interplay with scenes and actors. His works do not fit into the expected mold of cinematic storytelling: his mind is far too fertile to follow roads previously taken. In 'Histoire de Marie et Julien' he suspends time (two and a half hours of it) to focus on the possibilities of the living and the dead and the planes of ambiguity incited by dreams. The story is less important than the questions it raises and the impact is powerful - if you just stay with him to the last frame.

Julien (Jerzy Radziwilowicz) is an antique clock restorer, living alone with his cat 'Nevermore', a man whose seemingly dull life is touched by his role as a blackmailer to a Madame X (Anne Brochet), a strangely beautiful woman with dark secrets contained in a doll, some documents, and a letter - all somehow in the hands of Julien. Julien meets Marie (Emmanuelle Béart), an ethereally beautiful woman who appears to be both present and not present, depending on the moment. Julien first dreams of his encounter with Marie (as does she) and then they actually meet. In no time Marie is moving into Julien's large and musty home, surrounded by clocks and other elements suggesting time. They have a passionate love life and fall in love. Julien shares his blackmailing project with Marie and Marie is the one who is 'the other woman' in delivering parcels to Madame X in return for cash installments. Madame X's dark secrets include the suicide of her sister Adrienne (Bettina Kee) who appears to Marie in what seems to be an established relationship of some sort. Marie's duplicitous nature becomes more apparent.

To tell more of this wondrous tale would destroy the slow unraveling of this mysterious love story: best it be seen by the viewers. All of the actors are extraordinarily fine. Rivette spends much of the movie with silences allowing the camera and actors to peruse the atmosphere, encouraging his characters to just interact with the clocks, the cat, the rooms, the parks, the mystery of that netherland of life after death. It is breathtakingly beautiful.

The DVD adds poignant interviews with both Rivette and Béart and for once the featurettes add tremendously to understanding this difficult film. Rivette shares with us that he initially wanted to make this film years ago with Leslie Caron and Albert Finney, but that because he wanted the story of the film to grow into telling itself during the filming, he could find no financial backers. Having just viewed the film it would be difficult to imagine the same story with a finer cast than we have here. An unforgettable experience. In French with English subtitles. Grady Harp, August 05

Actually, it is widescreen........2005-07-22

Although the back of the case erroneously reads 4:3, the film is shown at 1.85:1 (or thereabouts).

Average customer rating:

I don't regret watching this film...
A wonderfully entertaining French flick!

A Tale of Springtime
Starring: Anne Teyssèdre , Hugues Quester , Florence Darel , Eloïse Bennett , and Sophie Robin
Director: Eric Rohmer
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
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ASIN: B00005UJY6
Release Date: 2002-03-05

Description

OscarÂ(r)-nominated* writer/director Eric Rohmer (Pauline at the Beach) delivers this 'splendid, engaging, delightful revelation (The Village View) that sparkles with humor andsizzles with romance. Heightened by the splendor of the French countryside, A Tale of Springtime is radiantly alive, blissfully awareand among the most beautiful and enlightening [films] in world cinema (Los Angeles Times)! The well-ordered life of Jeanne, a high school philosophy teacher, suddenly spins into disorder when a young stranger she meets at a party involvesher in a devilish scheme. Natacha, an adolescent pianist with a penchant for subtly playing her elders, invites Jeanne to her father's home...hoping to make a match of the two and send her father's current lover, Eve, packing. But when the tempestuous Eve arrives at every chance meeting between Jeanne and Natacha's father, fireworks of an entirely different sort erupt, and everyone is forced toexamine his or her own philosophies on love, relationships and other sordid affairs of the human heart. *1970: Story and Original Screenplay, My Night at Maud's

Customer Reviews:

I don't regret watching this film..........2006-06-14

"A tale of Springtime" is part of Eric Rohmer's "Tales of the four seasons". It is an interesting film, but it is far from being excellent, at least in my opinion.

The plot is not complicated. A philosophy teacher, Jeanne (Anne Teyssèdre), finds herself temporarily without a place to live, due to the fact that she has lent her apartment to a cousin, and also because she has no intention whatsoever of living in her boyfriend's house while he is on holidays. Fortunately, Jeanne meets Natacha (Florence Darel), a young woman that invites Jeanne to her home, arguing that it is a perfect solution for both, because she doesn't like to be alone. Truth to be told, Natacha shares her house with her father Igor (Hugues Quester), but he is almost never there, preferring to be with his young girlfriend, Eve (Eloïse Bennett).

Not much happens during this film, apart from the fact that Natacha constantly tries to connect Jeanne with her father. All the same, I think you will enjoy the long conversations between the characters, and the beautiful countryside scenery. Is that enough to recommend "A tale of springtime"? I sincerely don't know, but I can say that I don't regret watching this film.

Belen Alcat

PS: By the way, my favorite film in "The tales of the four seasons" series is "A tale of winter".

A wonderfully entertaining French flick!.......2005-03-29

Let me start by saying that if you don't like French films where there is no action and it's mostly just dialogue amongst the leads in a few different indoor/outdoor settings, then don't look here. However, if you find Eric Rohmer films, and French films that are very "talky" engaging, then this is one of the better ones.

The leads in this films all give wonderful performances and while I don't like every Rohmer film, I liked this one a lot. Even though it is all talking throughout, the conversations and script kept me intrigued and I found the movie flew buy in a good way (normally talky pictures seem to drag on and on).

The plot is basically a beautiful 18-year-old French girl (the redhead on the DVD cover) meets a late 20's/early 30's girl at a party where they are both bored and become friends. The 18-year-old despises her late 30's/early 40's father's girlfriend and believes that if she puts her new friend togther with her dad, he will fall for her and forget his fiancee. That's basically it, but the characters keep you focused and quite interested in their simple interactions.

The settings are plain, but rather nice-looking French decor. Even though it's a late 80's film, I didn't see much in it to make you think you were in that time frame. A film that looks very fresh today. Also, the MGM-World Films line does a much better job of the transfer than the rest of Rohmer's films, which are done by the folks at Fox/Lorber. The picture quality is far superior and you can change and remove the subtitles (unlike the Lorber films which are burned in).

DVD: