The best thing about this movie is the brilliant editing of a crucial road accident that is shown at the start. Then time moves backward and we see what happened in the few days leading to the accident. Finally, we see the accident happening in slow motion and in regular time frame.
This is one of those rare cases in which the jumping in time actually makes sense and it is necessary to develop the narrative. The plot itself, apart from the skilled technique, is pretty banal and the dialogues are sparse and banal as the story it narrates.
Pierre is a professional man who dumped his - still attractive - wife for a younger model, but he is having doubts. Hélène, Pierre's young lover is the beautiful Romi Schneider and it is easy to see why Pierre lost his head. Not so much why she fell for him.
Pierre, played by Piccoli, is a middle-aged, old fashioned, verbally unskilled man, whose chain-smoking almost made me sick (all the other characters also smoke like crazy). Anachronistic for our times, but I guess perfectly normal for the 70s, Piccoli's is shown several time shirtless, sporting exceedingly hairy chest and shoulders.
Could be Pierre is only "in lust", but he's reticent to admit it. Besides, Pierre also feels guilty for neglecting his young adult son and for the financial troubles his separation is causing. Nothing new under the sun. Unfortunately, the resolution of his dilemma will be tragic.
This is one of those rare cases in which the jumping in time actually makes sense and it is necessary to develop the narrative. The plot itself, apart from the skilled technique, is pretty banal and the dialogues are sparse and banal as the story it narrates.
Pierre is a professional man who dumped his - still attractive - wife for a younger model, but he is having doubts. Hélène, Pierre's young lover is the beautiful Romi Schneider and it is easy to see why Pierre lost his head. Not so much why she fell for him.
Pierre, played by Piccoli, is a middle-aged, old fashioned, verbally unskilled man, whose chain-smoking almost made me sick (all the other characters also smoke like crazy). Anachronistic for our times, but I guess perfectly normal for the 70s, Piccoli's is shown several time shirtless, sporting exceedingly hairy chest and shoulders.
Could be Pierre is only "in lust", but he's reticent to admit it. Besides, Pierre also feels guilty for neglecting his young adult son and for the financial troubles his separation is causing. Nothing new under the sun. Unfortunately, the resolution of his dilemma will be tragic.