Purely Joyful Movie!

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Beautiful, moving film.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Oh, how the ease of immediate communication, whenever, wherever, has changed in the 20 years since the setting of this film. And yet, some things remain the same...In Éric Rohmer's "A Summer's Tale," Gaspard has just completed a graduate degree in mathematics and during the short end-of-summer weeks before he is to start his new job, he heads to a small village on the northern coast of Brittany with a mutually-agreed but vague plan to meet the object of his infatuation, Léna. The timing of her arrival is uncertain and she has left no way for him to be in contact.And so he passes the days idly looking for her as he goes to the beach, walks, and dines at a local restaurant--where he catches the eye of the waitress, Margot. Later Margot spots Gaspard on the beach and flirtatiously engages him in conversation, which is the start of a series of get-togethers during which the two talk about past, current and unrequited loves. A third woman, Solène, enters the picture when Gaspard catches her eye at a party and she later invites him to visit with her family.Léna finally arrives, and, when she and Gaspard meet by chance, she apologizes for her inability to announce the arrival, while dismissively adding that they found each other. It is apparent that Gaspard's interest is not reciprocated by Léna and thus begins a merry-go-round of meetings with each of the women, to further discuss love and plans to spend time together which lead nowhere.Gaspard is handsome but nearly feckless in persuading any of the women in getting what he wants, and so he broods. And he caves to the various demands and flighty changes of plans by the women, to the end, when he makes a final decision of his own choosing which does not accede to any of the women's.The circumstances of chance, planned and thwarted meetings and the way they play out is free of any false notes. The demands, the manipulations, the vacillations, Gaspard's palpable desperation are all artfully projected and utterly convincing. You feel at one time or other you have experienced some of the same confusion, frustration or angst, and you probably have.The film is dialogue- and situation-driven. While some of the depicted Breton coastline is picturesque, there are no sweeping vistas captured. There is little in the setting to seduce the eye, the film feels low budget, and in fact, it likely could have been filmed anywhere scenic to similar effect, a credit to the script and acting.The principal shortcoming is that the moping Gaspard is an uncompelling figure and so too are the women, two of whom are self-centered and manipulative. Only the infectious Margot displays redeeming qualities. It is a struggle to care what happens to any of the characters or how the story resolves itself.Also, there are brief moments in two or three scenes in which direction of the actors seems apparent--one, for example, when Léna meets Gaspard on the beach before she castigates him and her body is nearly fully turned toward camera versus more partly to him, never mind the nonverbal language of dismissive rejection, and another during the all close-up footage of her and Gaspard playing volleyball.In sum, a well-acted, well-scripted film, recommended for those who might have liked Richard Linklater's "Before Sunrise" and its two sequels.

Eric Rohmer's characters are often irritating and insufferable, yet they can likewise be charming and utterly irresistible. In A Tale of Summer, Gaspard (Melvil Poupaud) acts like a grown up teenager who likes to play at love but is unwilling to make commitments, finding himself unable to honestly express his feelings to three women he meets at a seaside resort. Like so many Rohmer films, the story takes place at a time when the characters have nothing to do but meet and talk and idle the days away, and you can be certain there is plenty of talk. Gaspar is a tall, slender young guitar player who comes to Brittany on vacation from his job as a mathematician and spends time by himself composing and playing music.Pausing long enough to get out and see the town, Gaspar meets Margot (Amanda Langlet) an ethnologist working in a local restaurant. He develops a relationship with Margot but it is all very platonic as Margot is waiting for her boyfriend to return from the Peace Corps and Gaspard says that he is waiting for the arrival of his girl friend Lena, vacationing with her cousins in Spain. Margot and Gaspard take long walks in the French countryside and engage in witty and intelligent conversation about relationships, jealousy, and sex and they seem well suited for each other but each avoids an emotional connection. At Margot's suggestion Gaspar meets another girl, Solene (Gwenaelle Simon), at a disco and they share a love for music but Solene becomes demanding when Gaspar is reluctant to make a commitment to take her on a trip to a nearby island.His ego is strengthened by Solene's attraction to him, but when Lena finally shows up, he must deal with her mercurial temperament, especially when she tells him that he is not worthy of her. Eventually, the young man digs himself quite a hole as he makes the same promise to all three women and is fearful of confronting them to explain. A Tale of Summer is one of Rohmer's lighter films and I found it to be a lovely and engaging way to spend two hours. Though his characters have plenty of flaws that are all too apparent, Rohmer does not judge or evaluate them but accepts them the way that they are -- so, for all their faults, I suppose we should as well.

*** MINOR SPOILER ABOUT A PREDICTABLE EVENT ***Hugely charming film that saw me fall for Amanda Langlet (Margot) within two minutes of her first appearance. Her smile is brighter than a flashbulb.I spent most of my time wishing I could jump up onto the screen but I couldn't decide if I'd hug the always radiant Margot or smack the gauche prat Gaspard for being so oafishly blind to her charms.Sure, it's typically French with it's "je pense, je parle, je fait rien" plot but it's a pleasure to be in the company of some of the characters.Oh, and did I mention that Amanda Langlet alone makes it worth the price of admission?

Not everyone will agree with my above comment but I thought this film was very entertaining. This is the third Eric Rohmer film I have seen (the others being "Summer" and "Claire's Knee") and I thought those were quite entertaining, too. The one thing I like about Rohmer is it feels like he just took a camera and filmed real people. That might not be everyone's taste but I enjoy it.