008. A Simple Story

008. (06 Jan) A Simple Story (1979, Claude Sautet) 32



Very much what it promises in the title, this is mundane despite the fact that it boldly opens in an abortion clinic and centers on a woman's break-up with her boyfriend and reconciliation with her ex-husband. The drama is understated to a fault since Romy Schneider is such a cold, unlikable presence. It's interesting how matter-of-factly this treats her relationship drama while peripheral characters get all the melodrama like a suicide attempt. Whenever it seems to get a bit of focus, it sidetracks to a throwaway scene. It'd be one thing if this was boring by design, but it's just boring in its amateurism.

267. Live for Life

267. (10 Nov) Live for Life (1967, Claude Lelouch) 34



Lelouch has an undeniable understanding of the medium, as few contemporary dramas could be made to look more cinematic, but this is incredibly clinical and even shallow in its approach toward its characters. That, combined with the broad, pseduo-intellectualism that marks his other work, makes this tough to get involved in. Long interludes like a safari in Africa, while visually stunning, seem utterly pointless. The incidental nature of the whole plot, rather than feeling dreamy and romantic as it did in A Man and a Woman, seems sloppy.