A Summer's Tale

The Rohmer touch consists of nonchalance and effortless sensuality, not just in the people, but also in the landscape, somehow even in the air.

Whether it's the closest you'll get to the beach this year, or you have to tear yourself away from the dunes to enjoy it, it's an essential part of any movie-lover's summer.

It may seem like nothing much is happening on-screen, but by the time A Summer's Tale is all over, it feels like everything important has been said and done. Welcome to the magic of Rohmer, one final time.

Fall into the rhythm of Rohmer’s beats, and you will hear the sound of humanity wrestling with everything that matters.

Looking at the picture’s mostly sun-drenched and drolly cheerful surface layer, one marvels at Rohmer’s unerring sense of what drama kings and queens young people can be.

This is a movie of high innocence, set at a time in life when romantic love is still a frolic and the seaside is a balm that quells all ills.

A Summer's Tale is one of those movies where it looks like nothing is happening; there is a lot of walking and talking (against exquisite backdrops), dissections and discourse about the intricacies of romance, the false signals, the fickleness.

The summer of a cowardly opportunist and forced fidelity. "Funny, you’re always making excuses." "You brought this on yourself. Just watch."241127 (1.0)1. Margot is a waitress and ethnology graduate analyzing people for her thesis; her archaeologist boyfriend is away in the South Pacific. It's Pauline from "Pauline at the Beach," filmed 10 years later—still beautiful! 2. Gaspard, a melancholic math masters grad and aspiring composer, is idling in Dinard to "accidentally" encounter Lena, his habitual unrequited crush. 3. "Making a habit out of coincidence? That’s remarkable." 4. I envied the warm, communal relative culture here; unlike the independence I expected, the whole family helps children learn the world. 5. Gaspard meets Solene, a music lover who works at a bank, but he won't commit because he’s waiting for the elusive Lena. 6. Gaspard is a pathetic, cowardly type who wants attention but won't risk effort or failure; he kisses Margot but gets rejected, then dates Solene while refusing to promise a future. 7. "I like composing because it makes math bearable." In one breath, he disses his major, his songwriting, Lena, and even Solene who spent time with him. 8. Gaspard is bold enough to want Margot’s company while Solene is working, and he carelessly promises the trip to Ushant Island to both of them. 9. "Funny, you’re always making excuses." He writes a song for Lena but gives it to Solene—a total opportunist. 10. When Lena finally arrives 10 days late, she treats him like a boyfriend but then belittles his lack of ambition, proving herself a fickle match for the opportunist. 11. "It’s hilarious. It’s like waking up as a millionaire beggar. Three women at once is too many, isn't it?" 12. Facing simultaneous calls from Lena and Solene, Gaspard finds a perfect excuse to flee when an 8-track recorder he wanted becomes available. He leaves without a word to the others, only saying goodbye to Margot. 13. He finally realizes Margot—who truly understood him—was the answer, but the ship has sailed as her boyfriend returns. 14. "See? Nothing ever happens between me and women." "You brought this on yourself. Just watch."