ERIC ROHMER

Bil’s rating (out of 5):  BBB.5. 

Alternate title:  The Collector

France, 1967.  Les Films du Losange, Rome Paris Films.  Screenplay by Eric Rohmer, dialogue by Patrick Bauchau, Haydée Politoff, Daniel Pommereulle.  Cinematography by Nestor Almendros.  Produced by Georges de Beauregard, Barbet Schroeder.  Music by Blossom Toes, Giorgio Gomelsky.  Film Editing by Jackie Raynal.

Another sun-drenched tale of morality, this time set at a vacation home on the Mediterranean. Patrick Bauchau looks forward to a calm and restful summer during which he has pledged to his housemate Daniel Pommereulle that he is going to do absolutely nothing: wake up early for swims every morning and catch up on his sleeping and reading for the rest of the day. His idyll is interrupted when the owner of the villa he is staying at invites a promiscuous young girl (Haydée Politoff) to stay at the chateau and Bauchau watches as she spends the entire summer bringing home all manner of boys with whom she has affairs, including his buddy Daniel. Bauchau tries to be above it all with his world-weary admonishments, but it soon becomes clear that he would like to be a part of her collection and is doing a poorer and poorer job of hiding his desire. The longer scenes of intellectual conversation will be too dry for some audience members, but this lovely Rohmer film is blessed with his typical talent for delicate sexiness and intelligent, subtle humour.

The Criterion Collection:  #346

Venice Film Festival: In Competition