Full Moon in Paris [1984]

Full Moon in Paris, the fourth installment in Eric Rohmer’s charming 6-part series ‘Comedies & Proverbs’, was, like the other members of the series, a wryly humorous, cerebral and quietly pondering take on the complexities of urban relationships. And it had a quintessential Rohmer heroine as its protagonist – she’s naïve, impulsive, whimsical, likeable, confused, self-obsessed, and at times even alienating, and she just doesn’t know what she wants in terms of matters of the heart even though she thinks she does. Louise (Pascale Ogier) is a frail young woman who works as a trainee in a design firm and is lives in the suburbs with her boyfriend Remi (Tcheky Karyo), an architect and amateur tennis player. He is introverted, asocial and follows an overly disciplined regimen, while she loves being at late night parties during the weekends and leading a carefree life in general; that, in conjunction with the fact that he’s possessive of her and her wish for freedom and personal space, makes her decide to maintain an apartment in Paris. She convinces him that this is what will keep their relationship alive even though, internally, she plans to explore whether she indeed loves her; however, by the time she realizes where her heart truly lies, it turns out to be, predictably, too late. Meanwhile, a neurotic and married writer (Fabrice Luchini in a dryly comic turn) is obsessed with her even though, despite his valiant and even desperate attempts, she doesn't consider him anything beyond a good friend. Shot using deceptively long takes using an unobtrusive camera, this bleak morality tale was nicely juxtaposed against gray, wan concrete Parisian landscapes and cramped, impersonal interiors.

Director: Eric Rohmer
Genre: Drama/Romantic Comedy/Psychological Drama/Urban Drama
Language: French
Country: France