Tuesday, July 22, 2008

My Night at Maud's

Sunday, July 20, 2008

I think I did a good job on my K2K this weekend, but even though I enjoyed all the klassiks I watched, this was the only one I loved. This is the first Eric Rohmer movie I've ever seen, and it's the 3rd in his "Six Moral tales" series, but they aren't like sequels or anything so it wasn't like I didn't know what was going on.

If I had to guess, I'd bet that Richard Linklater is a big Rohmer fan. There are times when this feels like a proto-Dazed and Confused or Waking Life or something. A lot of the movie involves people sitting around, shooting the shit about philosophy and their lives. On the surface, there isn't a lot of plot, but there's a lot boiling under the surface. It's understated, but effective. And what's really amazing is that most of the movie is really a set up for the final scene, which takes place years after the rest of the film. The main character has a little epiphany, and does just one small good deed for his wife that has enormous implications. Rarely have I seen a payoff this great in a moment this small.

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