An outstanding love story, with an astonishing, riveting performance from Fanny Ardant. My own love affair with Truffaut began as a teenager when I first saw "Jules and Jim." But "La femme d'a cote" moved me most directly and most powerfully of all his great work. Is love "toujours triste"? No, not always sad; now that I'm in my forties, I'm much less a romantic. And love may be of many varieties. But deep romantic love, I do believe, rarely appears on screen as honestly portrayed as here. "The Woman Next Door" presents us with the power, the physical impact of love, the way it "takes our breath" away and so much more. Truffaut so often focuses on love, and usually more positively and in a greater variety of ways than other great directors. But if you want funny, fresh young love, see Truffaut's "Soft Skin" or even "Don't Shoot the Piano Player. His films which are more about infatuation versus love, i.e., the original (Truffaut's film, not the American one with Bert Reynolds) "The Man Who Loved Women" or even the Hitchcock tribute "The Bride Wore Black" while "darker" in tone -- all these remain quite funny, generally light in tone, and quite lively in pace and style. In "The Woman Next Door," more tragic, melancholic moments appear -- it's more akin to the highly autobiographical "The 400 Blows," which tells of Truffaut's difficult adolescence. Yet it has its lighter moments, too. My own response was a strong interest in the drama, the suspense, and astonishment at the beauty of the story, the acting, and the many moments of cinematic genius. Truffaut did, personally, fall in love with Ardant, the lead actress here; they married, so just how much autobiography went into this tale and film -- I don't know. "Next Door" represents Truffaut in a mature phase of his life and career, one which shot off like a rocket and just kept climbing. Ardant went on to act well in many other films, even in several after Truffaut's death. In her starring role here, she made her debut to my acquaintance. She stunned me; I thought I knew Truffaut's work well enough -- after ten to twelve years of trying to see everything available by him, reading about him, and so forth. Yet this film knocked me out, all the same. Superb.
29 Reviews
Sad tale of doomed love
FilmCriticLalitRao7 August 2007
La Femme d'a Cote shows violent emotional state of two melancholic lovers.Truffaut wanted to reveal the extreme steps of frustrated love.It is a brilliant story of passion set in the provincial french town of Grenoble which shows that love is the only thing that is universal.Bernard and Mathilde are truly the perfect lovers Truffaut wished to exploit in his film.There is a sense of urgency in their love affair as in a place where all the people know each other,it is highly improbable that any love affair can remain a secret.La Femme d'a Cote has agreeably given an idea about small town charm wherein Truffaut has vividly portrayed all the minor details of provincial life.Truffaut,while filming La Femme d'a Cote,hoped that the viewer would not be tempted to take sides in order to call one wrong and the other wrong but would love them both as he has loved them.Truffaut will remain the only filmmaker who has mastered the art of human emotions.La Femme d'a Cote gives an impression of an affecting account of human foibles by illustrating how a happy married man sacrifices everything for trivial passion.
Polarising Passions...
Xstal24 January 2023
A pair of spinning magnets, correspondingly attract, then rotate a little further, universally detract, pulling one way for a while, as they slowly reconcile, then pushing, pushing, pushing, until both of them retract.
It's a can't live with you, can't live without you tale, but you've seen it many times before, as it's hoisted many sails, the difference this time round, is the lady is profound, a performance of some standing, lifts it right up off the ground - but apart from the adorable Fanny Ardant there isn't a lot else to get too excited about, although the rest of the ensemble perform their roles adequately and Gérard Depardieu is more than believable in his highly volatile moments.
It's a can't live with you, can't live without you tale, but you've seen it many times before, as it's hoisted many sails, the difference this time round, is the lady is profound, a performance of some standing, lifts it right up off the ground - but apart from the adorable Fanny Ardant there isn't a lot else to get too excited about, although the rest of the ensemble perform their roles adequately and Gérard Depardieu is more than believable in his highly volatile moments.
The tragedy of cinema
MovieAddict201629 May 2005
Bernard is happily married to his wife Arlette and has a son, Thomas. One day a new couple move in next door: Philippe and Mathilde, the latter of whom is a seductive woman with a secret -- she used to be Bernard's lover...
I love Truffaut's films (of the ones I've seen, anyway) and when I approached this I had a genuine fear of disappointment -- it's one of his later films and I hadn't heard very much about it.
I was surprised to find it's an excellent love story/character examination and better than it is generally given credit for. It's the typically tragic tale reminiscent of those we've seen before in cinema -- a French Romeo and Juliet.
Gérard Depardieu and Fanny Ardant are perfect together and their chemistry sparks. They have the experience that indicates an older relationship; it's very believable, in other words.
Roger Van Hool has a good role as Roland and the rest of the cast are superb as well. Overall this is a fascinating examination of love, marriage, romance, adultery, betrayal and life. In the hands of a master storyteller it is an almost flawless motion picture and certainly one of the best of the decade (one which, incidentally, is not known for producing many good pictures by most critics).
I love Truffaut's films (of the ones I've seen, anyway) and when I approached this I had a genuine fear of disappointment -- it's one of his later films and I hadn't heard very much about it.
I was surprised to find it's an excellent love story/character examination and better than it is generally given credit for. It's the typically tragic tale reminiscent of those we've seen before in cinema -- a French Romeo and Juliet.
Gérard Depardieu and Fanny Ardant are perfect together and their chemistry sparks. They have the experience that indicates an older relationship; it's very believable, in other words.
Roger Van Hool has a good role as Roland and the rest of the cast are superb as well. Overall this is a fascinating examination of love, marriage, romance, adultery, betrayal and life. In the hands of a master storyteller it is an almost flawless motion picture and certainly one of the best of the decade (one which, incidentally, is not known for producing many good pictures by most critics).
Smoldering fire
jotix10017 August 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Can passion really die when a stormy love affair is over? That seems to be the question behind this 1981 French film, directed by Francois Truffaut. Having seen it when it was released originally, we had the opportunity to watch it recently when it was shown on a cable channel. Although we remembered the premise of the movie, watching for the second time did not have the same impact of the first time.
The story is narrated from the point of view of an older woman, Madame Jouve, who had gone through the agonies of losing in love. Her ordeal ended in trying to commit suicide, the scars of which she is presently suffering from the injury she received on her leg that now slows her movements. Mme. Jouve tried to jump from an eighth floor of a building, almost killing herself.
The action takes place on a small town near Grenoble. Bernard Coudray, an engineer, is living in a sort of idyllic suburban house. There is a sign on the house next door which advertises it is for rent. Bernard lives in what appears a happy environment with his wife, Arlette, and their young son. Bernard is surprised when he watches a moving van unload furniture. The house was finally rented.
What Bernard does not realize is that he knows the woman moving into the place. She is Mathilde, a woman with whom he was involved in a passionate affair that ended badly. Her arrival means that whatever inner peace he had, will be shattered as he tries to pick up where he and Mathilde left off. The fact they were involved is never known by their present spouses. Mathilde is married to a flight controller, Philippe.
As Arlette makes friends with her new neighbors, but one look between Bernard and Mathilde sets the stage for the passion that consumes them. The next thing is finding a place where to consummate what they feel about one another. It is impossible to hide what they feel for one another, something that is too obvious to hide. Mme. Jouve realizes what is going on right away, but Arlette and Philippe are totally blind about the affair.
As all things of this nature, the lovers are doomed. Both lovers are now married to others; there is not much for them to do if they do not want to hurt their current spouses. A desperate Mathilde has a lot more to lose. Arlette is more forgiving about her husband's deceit. Philippe decides to make a clean break from the house that brought so much unhappiness, but it is too late. Mathilde has another thing in mind that will seal her destiny with Bernard.
"The Woman Next Door" by Francois Truffaut tells a passionate love story in which the director, clearly influenced by his idol Alfred Hitchcock, gives the audience a good love story with suspenseful undertones. Mr. Truffaut worked on the screenplay with his often collaborator, Suzanne Schiffman, and Jean Aurel, who had also worked with him. The idea of bringing two former lovers into such close environment is almost impossible to pull. In this case, the mere idea the cheated spouses did not have a hint what was going on in front of them, adds another layer to the narrative.
Fanny Ardant's Mathilde is one of her best appearances in the French cinema. One can see her lust for a man that could have been hers, but things got in her way. Now seeing him again, she wants him, no matter what. Gerard Depardieu's Bernard does not quite come as inspired as some of his other roles, but he makes a credible lover and one can see how his desire for her never died. Veronique Silver is splendid as Mme. Jouve. Michelle Baumgartner and Henri Garcin are seen as Arlette and Philippe.
The story is narrated from the point of view of an older woman, Madame Jouve, who had gone through the agonies of losing in love. Her ordeal ended in trying to commit suicide, the scars of which she is presently suffering from the injury she received on her leg that now slows her movements. Mme. Jouve tried to jump from an eighth floor of a building, almost killing herself.
The action takes place on a small town near Grenoble. Bernard Coudray, an engineer, is living in a sort of idyllic suburban house. There is a sign on the house next door which advertises it is for rent. Bernard lives in what appears a happy environment with his wife, Arlette, and their young son. Bernard is surprised when he watches a moving van unload furniture. The house was finally rented.
What Bernard does not realize is that he knows the woman moving into the place. She is Mathilde, a woman with whom he was involved in a passionate affair that ended badly. Her arrival means that whatever inner peace he had, will be shattered as he tries to pick up where he and Mathilde left off. The fact they were involved is never known by their present spouses. Mathilde is married to a flight controller, Philippe.
As Arlette makes friends with her new neighbors, but one look between Bernard and Mathilde sets the stage for the passion that consumes them. The next thing is finding a place where to consummate what they feel about one another. It is impossible to hide what they feel for one another, something that is too obvious to hide. Mme. Jouve realizes what is going on right away, but Arlette and Philippe are totally blind about the affair.
As all things of this nature, the lovers are doomed. Both lovers are now married to others; there is not much for them to do if they do not want to hurt their current spouses. A desperate Mathilde has a lot more to lose. Arlette is more forgiving about her husband's deceit. Philippe decides to make a clean break from the house that brought so much unhappiness, but it is too late. Mathilde has another thing in mind that will seal her destiny with Bernard.
"The Woman Next Door" by Francois Truffaut tells a passionate love story in which the director, clearly influenced by his idol Alfred Hitchcock, gives the audience a good love story with suspenseful undertones. Mr. Truffaut worked on the screenplay with his often collaborator, Suzanne Schiffman, and Jean Aurel, who had also worked with him. The idea of bringing two former lovers into such close environment is almost impossible to pull. In this case, the mere idea the cheated spouses did not have a hint what was going on in front of them, adds another layer to the narrative.
Fanny Ardant's Mathilde is one of her best appearances in the French cinema. One can see her lust for a man that could have been hers, but things got in her way. Now seeing him again, she wants him, no matter what. Gerard Depardieu's Bernard does not quite come as inspired as some of his other roles, but he makes a credible lover and one can see how his desire for her never died. Veronique Silver is splendid as Mme. Jouve. Michelle Baumgartner and Henri Garcin are seen as Arlette and Philippe.
Not a new plot but it's Truffaut and he makes it look like new
Rodrigo_Amaro5 January 2012
The magic of movies are really present in here, otherwise how come a story that sounds so familiar to us looks very fresh, all brand new to your eyes and ears? François Truffaut makes of "La femme d'à Côté" ("The Woman Next Door"), an apparent clichéd love story, to have the enormous feel of being something complete unknown to us (Obvisouly the film has its moments of originality though).
Bernard (Gérard Depardieu) lives in a small community along with wife (Michèle Baumgartner) and his son, all is happy and well until the house next to his gets bought by the Bauchard (Henri Garcin and Fanny Ardant), a friendly couple, being Mathilde, the woman of the film's title, an old affair of Bernard. And you don't need to be a genius to guess that these two will start off again from the point where they stopped, after years without seeing each other. What is quite obvious as well is that the combination old flames on a new affair might have some tragic consequences for everybody involved.
In "La femme d'à Côté" Truffaut finally managed to balance the instabilities between the characters involved in a relationship, something that, at my view, was only noticed when we pay attention to the female characters like Catherine from "Jules et Jim" and the title character of "The Story of Adele H." in which only the women acted out of desperation, lost their sanity and went through hell with their love affairs. In this more original scenario the man is driven to the point of madness, completely alienated from everything, just thinking in living with his lover (even though, again, it's the woman who suffers more throughout the film). It is balanced since in the other classics the men didn't seem to care much for what was happening to the women (specially in "Adele H." the man was completely cold, ruthless towards the girl who at one time was the love of his life).
And who narrates Bernard and Mathilde's story? An old lady named Madame Odile (nicely played by Véronique Silver), a handicapped woman who survived a suicide attempt by jumping from a building right after being rejected by the man she loved (You can take your conclusions from here). Her story is perfectly connected with the main story of the film.
The way the story swings from a soft comedy, quite gentle in its pace, from a romantic film to a complex drama, all these changes were greatly presented, the variations work because we have a director that really knows how to perform them. But this film doesn't go without some problems, there's some difficult things to accept and see (like when Bernard can't hold any longer his anguish and decides, in front of everybody during a party to show his love for Mathilde in the most dreadful way, a real scandal) as things happening in reality (and most of the film looks realistic so why this created situations in which people couldn't relate with it?). Small problems, nothing so distractive or ruining, neither something that deserves a negative review (the two bad ones featured on the site are amazingly incoherent, illogical, and ridiculous just to say a few words about them).
If the story isn't good enough to make you watch this film, at least go for the director and the actors involved with it, Ardant and Depardieu on their greatest level of acting playing what could be a perfect couple if it wasn't for their complicated lives with their spouses. A special moment from them is their first kiss at the market's parking garage when the woman simply faints on him. Looks absurd but can be explained as something really powerful, all those emotions resurrecting, coming to life again. "What now?" or "Should we start all over again?". And that was only the beginning, going for a newer ending. This time for good. Neither with you or without you. 9/10
Bernard (Gérard Depardieu) lives in a small community along with wife (Michèle Baumgartner) and his son, all is happy and well until the house next to his gets bought by the Bauchard (Henri Garcin and Fanny Ardant), a friendly couple, being Mathilde, the woman of the film's title, an old affair of Bernard. And you don't need to be a genius to guess that these two will start off again from the point where they stopped, after years without seeing each other. What is quite obvious as well is that the combination old flames on a new affair might have some tragic consequences for everybody involved.
In "La femme d'à Côté" Truffaut finally managed to balance the instabilities between the characters involved in a relationship, something that, at my view, was only noticed when we pay attention to the female characters like Catherine from "Jules et Jim" and the title character of "The Story of Adele H." in which only the women acted out of desperation, lost their sanity and went through hell with their love affairs. In this more original scenario the man is driven to the point of madness, completely alienated from everything, just thinking in living with his lover (even though, again, it's the woman who suffers more throughout the film). It is balanced since in the other classics the men didn't seem to care much for what was happening to the women (specially in "Adele H." the man was completely cold, ruthless towards the girl who at one time was the love of his life).
And who narrates Bernard and Mathilde's story? An old lady named Madame Odile (nicely played by Véronique Silver), a handicapped woman who survived a suicide attempt by jumping from a building right after being rejected by the man she loved (You can take your conclusions from here). Her story is perfectly connected with the main story of the film.
The way the story swings from a soft comedy, quite gentle in its pace, from a romantic film to a complex drama, all these changes were greatly presented, the variations work because we have a director that really knows how to perform them. But this film doesn't go without some problems, there's some difficult things to accept and see (like when Bernard can't hold any longer his anguish and decides, in front of everybody during a party to show his love for Mathilde in the most dreadful way, a real scandal) as things happening in reality (and most of the film looks realistic so why this created situations in which people couldn't relate with it?). Small problems, nothing so distractive or ruining, neither something that deserves a negative review (the two bad ones featured on the site are amazingly incoherent, illogical, and ridiculous just to say a few words about them).
If the story isn't good enough to make you watch this film, at least go for the director and the actors involved with it, Ardant and Depardieu on their greatest level of acting playing what could be a perfect couple if it wasn't for their complicated lives with their spouses. A special moment from them is their first kiss at the market's parking garage when the woman simply faints on him. Looks absurd but can be explained as something really powerful, all those emotions resurrecting, coming to life again. "What now?" or "Should we start all over again?". And that was only the beginning, going for a newer ending. This time for good. Neither with you or without you. 9/10
Authors of their own destruction
paul2001sw-123 October 2004
A young, almost boyish Gerard Depardieu stars in 'The Woman Next Door', one of Francois Truffaut's later films. In some ways, it's a stereotypically French affair, a stylish and urbane story of passionate love. But the film itself, though nicely observed, fails to really catch fire. One reason may be the fact that their isn't much in the way of character development, not because the characters are one-dimensional but because they are fully described in the premise, and change little thereafter. We are told that the central figures are in love, but know they could not live together, and what follows is merely the logical exposition of this. Another is that they themselves seem the biggest obstacles to their own happiness. Therefore, though the film is watchable throughout, as a whole it amounts to little more than a collection of its parts, rather than a great and profound tragedy. Other work by this director packed a greater punch.
A woman moves in next door to her previous lover. But they are both married.
Filmnate31 May 1999
Very good movie with excellent performances from Gerard Depardieu and Fanny Ardant. The emotions and performances are outstanding. If you have ever felt a strong love that borders on the irrational, then you may identify with this film. There are some small flaws of coincidences in the story. I found the last 20 minutes quite disturbing, and wish the writers found a different one. It seems to imply that real love must have a tragic ending. It is sort of an 19th Century "romantic" ending. Perhaps, that's what they were shooting for in the modern cotext of France in the 1980's. But nonetheless one of Truffaut's better films. What do you think?
Neither with You, Nor without You
claudio_carvalho12 May 2017
In Grenoble, Bernard Coudray (Gérard Depardieu) and his wife Arlette Coudray (Michèle Baumgartner) are happily married with their son Thomas. When the next door house is rented to the flight controller Philippe Bauchard (Henri Garcin) and his wife Mathilde Bauchard (Fanny Ardant), Arlette invites the couple for a dinner party but Bernard avoids Mathilde. When they meet each other in the supermarket, they recall their love affair that traumatically ended eight years ago. However their love rekindles and they meet each other in a hotel room. But once together again, they have a stormy affair that ends again with tragic consequences.
"La femme d'à côté", a.k.a. "The Woman Next Door", is a tragic and powerful romance by François Truffaut with the love story of a stormy couple reunited again after eight years by chance but that cannot be together. The performances are magnificent and the conclusion is predictable. The final quote of the narrator Madame Odile Jouve for their epitaph is perfect ("Neither with you, nor without you."). My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "A Mulher do Lado" ("The Woman Next Door")
"La femme d'à côté", a.k.a. "The Woman Next Door", is a tragic and powerful romance by François Truffaut with the love story of a stormy couple reunited again after eight years by chance but that cannot be together. The performances are magnificent and the conclusion is predictable. The final quote of the narrator Madame Odile Jouve for their epitaph is perfect ("Neither with you, nor without you."). My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "A Mulher do Lado" ("The Woman Next Door")
Lover, You Should've Come Over.
morrison-dylan-fan4 April 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Taking part in a poll on ICM for the best movies of 1981,I began looking on Amazon UK for DVDs from the year. Already making plans to look at French cinema from the year,I was pleased to find a François Truffaut creation,which led to me going next door.
The plot:
Working as a teacher in a small town, Bernard Coudray keeps events that happened in his past to himself,with Bernard pushing any questions aside from his wife Arlette and their young son Thomas. Seeing new neighbours moving in next door,the Coudray's decide to go and greet them. Welcomed in by Philippe Bauchard,Bernard begins to fear that he can't keep his past secret,when he is greeted by Philippe's wife Mathilde,who was Bernard's first ever love.
View on the film:
Supplementing the feature with informative extras, Artificial Eye delivers a classy transfer,with the image and soundtrack being clean,and the subtitles moving at a readable speed.
Mentioning in the commentary that they both "clicked" the moment they met François Truffaut,Fanny Ardant (who got married to Truffaut) and Gérard Depardieu both give sparkling performances as Bernard Coudray and Mathilde Bauchard. Afraid of looking back into the past, Depardieu gives Bernard a fragile calm which erupts as he begins welcoming the memories of the past. Being more at ease than Bernard, Fanny Ardant brims Mathilde with a quiet,open confidence,that reveals itself in Mathilde's attempts to get Bernard to open up to Arlette about his past.
Keeping track of their decade spanning relationship,co-writer/(with Suzanne Schiffman and Jean Aurel) director François Truffaut & cinematographer William Lubtchansky continue expanding on Truffaut's stylish tracking shots,via the tracking shots here elegantly carrying the passage of time between the couple. Striking an abrasive melancholy final note,Truffaut builds towards the final encounter with Georges Delerue's great "suspense" score gradually gaining ground in the romance.Inspired by the Tristan and Iseult,the screenplay by Truffaut/ Schiffman and Aurel delicately piece together the lingering love that Bernard wants to keep in the past,as the woman next door,opens the door to Bernard's past love.
The plot:
Working as a teacher in a small town, Bernard Coudray keeps events that happened in his past to himself,with Bernard pushing any questions aside from his wife Arlette and their young son Thomas. Seeing new neighbours moving in next door,the Coudray's decide to go and greet them. Welcomed in by Philippe Bauchard,Bernard begins to fear that he can't keep his past secret,when he is greeted by Philippe's wife Mathilde,who was Bernard's first ever love.
View on the film:
Supplementing the feature with informative extras, Artificial Eye delivers a classy transfer,with the image and soundtrack being clean,and the subtitles moving at a readable speed.
Mentioning in the commentary that they both "clicked" the moment they met François Truffaut,Fanny Ardant (who got married to Truffaut) and Gérard Depardieu both give sparkling performances as Bernard Coudray and Mathilde Bauchard. Afraid of looking back into the past, Depardieu gives Bernard a fragile calm which erupts as he begins welcoming the memories of the past. Being more at ease than Bernard, Fanny Ardant brims Mathilde with a quiet,open confidence,that reveals itself in Mathilde's attempts to get Bernard to open up to Arlette about his past.
Keeping track of their decade spanning relationship,co-writer/(with Suzanne Schiffman and Jean Aurel) director François Truffaut & cinematographer William Lubtchansky continue expanding on Truffaut's stylish tracking shots,via the tracking shots here elegantly carrying the passage of time between the couple. Striking an abrasive melancholy final note,Truffaut builds towards the final encounter with Georges Delerue's great "suspense" score gradually gaining ground in the romance.Inspired by the Tristan and Iseult,the screenplay by Truffaut/ Schiffman and Aurel delicately piece together the lingering love that Bernard wants to keep in the past,as the woman next door,opens the door to Bernard's past love.
old lovers. awkwardly reunited
mjneu5917 January 2011
Family man Gérard Depardieu is disturbed to learn his new neighbor is, by sheer coincidence, ex-lover Fanny Ardant. Both are happily married, but that doesn't stop them from resuming their affair, with tragic consequences.
The script is nothing new, but François Truffaut's intelligent treatment of the otherwise familiar story avoids the more obvious clichés of popular romantic fiction. It hardly ranks among the director's best efforts, but a pair of talented co-stars and the typically French pre-occupation with l'amour fou help maintain interest all the way to the startling conclusion.
The script is nothing new, but François Truffaut's intelligent treatment of the otherwise familiar story avoids the more obvious clichés of popular romantic fiction. It hardly ranks among the director's best efforts, but a pair of talented co-stars and the typically French pre-occupation with l'amour fou help maintain interest all the way to the startling conclusion.
Lyrical, sensual film
tirthankarbhattacharyya22 January 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Francois Truffaut is one of the best directors of all times (yes, I remember Ray, Renoir, Kurosawa, Ozone and many others) and La femme d'a cote is his best. His best known films are Les quatre cents coups and Le dernier metro. However, this film appeals right from the beginning for its precision, economy, incisive insight, vividly sensitive portrayal of characters and after all a complete understanding of human emotions. The film is based on love, treachury, lust and blood - in short everything that life is made of.
I first saw this in the Hamsadhwani theatre at Pragati Maidan in Delhi. The hall is small and this intense film made the hall seem smaller. The film has Gerard Depardieu and Fanny Ardant in the lead roles. Superb restrained performance from Depardieu. We all know he is a great actor. But this performance required more restraint than anything else and he excels in that. Fanny Ardant has the role of a sensitive woman whose love for Bernard (Depardieu) knows no bounds. They knew each other and Bernard dumped her. As luck would have it, they happen to be neighbours many years later. That unfolds the drama. La Femme d'a Cote literally means The Woman Next Door. By now of course Mathilde (Ardant) is married as is Bernard. What follows is a tumultuous affair.
A lot of the acting in this film is done with eyes. Of course, Depardieu and Ardant are the best in the trade. But the rest of the crew live up to the standard. The film is set in Grenoble. Bernard and Mathilde rent room number 18 in a hotel for their sexual escapades. One day, Mathilde arrives slightly after Bernard and asks the receptionist for the key. The receptionist, a middle aged woman, tells that Bernard is waiting for her in the room. As Mathilde starts climbing the stairs, the receptionist looks at her. A look containing a mixture of emotions.
A gripping tale of basic emotions, the film keeps you on the edge. When I saw the film for the first time, the end came as a shock. Now nearly thirty years later, I know that there could be only one natural ending - the one the director chose. I have hardly seen a more complete film apart from Rashomon and Charulata. I would love to go on and on about this film, but that is not possible without revealing the entire plot.
I first saw this in the Hamsadhwani theatre at Pragati Maidan in Delhi. The hall is small and this intense film made the hall seem smaller. The film has Gerard Depardieu and Fanny Ardant in the lead roles. Superb restrained performance from Depardieu. We all know he is a great actor. But this performance required more restraint than anything else and he excels in that. Fanny Ardant has the role of a sensitive woman whose love for Bernard (Depardieu) knows no bounds. They knew each other and Bernard dumped her. As luck would have it, they happen to be neighbours many years later. That unfolds the drama. La Femme d'a Cote literally means The Woman Next Door. By now of course Mathilde (Ardant) is married as is Bernard. What follows is a tumultuous affair.
A lot of the acting in this film is done with eyes. Of course, Depardieu and Ardant are the best in the trade. But the rest of the crew live up to the standard. The film is set in Grenoble. Bernard and Mathilde rent room number 18 in a hotel for their sexual escapades. One day, Mathilde arrives slightly after Bernard and asks the receptionist for the key. The receptionist, a middle aged woman, tells that Bernard is waiting for her in the room. As Mathilde starts climbing the stairs, the receptionist looks at her. A look containing a mixture of emotions.
A gripping tale of basic emotions, the film keeps you on the edge. When I saw the film for the first time, the end came as a shock. Now nearly thirty years later, I know that there could be only one natural ending - the one the director chose. I have hardly seen a more complete film apart from Rashomon and Charulata. I would love to go on and on about this film, but that is not possible without revealing the entire plot.
Truffaut is no Chabrol
NumeroOne19 August 2014
This is perhaps the most Chabrol-ian of Truffaut films. It has the lighthearted sense of wonder that permeates even Truffaut's darkest films (such as this one)but the claustrophobic, cerebral tension of a Chabrol film.
But while Chabrol always embraced the dementedness of his subject matter, Truffaut doesn't really acknowledge the truth of how awful his characters' lives are. Truffaut looks for beauty and wonder in everything, even things that don't merit it. He is fascinated by their quirkiness and doesn't really acknowledge the consequences of their actions on the people around them.
In addition, this film, like many of Truffaut's, is mystified by women, while perhaps being too accepting of men. Chabrol, as male- centric as his films can be, spares neither gender in his depictions of mental illness and emotional cruelty.
But in this film, the camera dwells on Fanny Ardant's nervous, quivering face, even when she's going about her daily business, as if to invite the audience to gawk at her feminine hysteria. Meanwhile, the camera goes easy on Gerard Depardieu, staying at a comfortable distance and never lingering, no matter how irrational and strange his character acts.
It's most interesting for its parts - the scenery (including Gerard Depardieu's workplace, which is a canal full of model oil tankers), the cinematography, the acting, the Delerue music, et al.
But it's missing something. If you enjoy the naive, bewildered, and subtly misogynistic perspective that Truffaut takes in this movie, you might love it. Truffaut came from the same worldview in "Jules and Jim" - "the world is wonderful and women are crazy" - but in that movie, he had a tongue-in-cheek style and playful, larger- than-life story to go along with it. This movie has a more realistic, down-to-earth plot and setting, and Truffaut's weaknesses show through.
If you're not a Chabrol fan, you likely won't be able to put your finger on what's missing. But if you're a Chabrol fan, you've seen this story before, and you've seen it done better.
But while Chabrol always embraced the dementedness of his subject matter, Truffaut doesn't really acknowledge the truth of how awful his characters' lives are. Truffaut looks for beauty and wonder in everything, even things that don't merit it. He is fascinated by their quirkiness and doesn't really acknowledge the consequences of their actions on the people around them.
In addition, this film, like many of Truffaut's, is mystified by women, while perhaps being too accepting of men. Chabrol, as male- centric as his films can be, spares neither gender in his depictions of mental illness and emotional cruelty.
But in this film, the camera dwells on Fanny Ardant's nervous, quivering face, even when she's going about her daily business, as if to invite the audience to gawk at her feminine hysteria. Meanwhile, the camera goes easy on Gerard Depardieu, staying at a comfortable distance and never lingering, no matter how irrational and strange his character acts.
It's most interesting for its parts - the scenery (including Gerard Depardieu's workplace, which is a canal full of model oil tankers), the cinematography, the acting, the Delerue music, et al.
But it's missing something. If you enjoy the naive, bewildered, and subtly misogynistic perspective that Truffaut takes in this movie, you might love it. Truffaut came from the same worldview in "Jules and Jim" - "the world is wonderful and women are crazy" - but in that movie, he had a tongue-in-cheek style and playful, larger- than-life story to go along with it. This movie has a more realistic, down-to-earth plot and setting, and Truffaut's weaknesses show through.
If you're not a Chabrol fan, you likely won't be able to put your finger on what's missing. But if you're a Chabrol fan, you've seen this story before, and you've seen it done better.
Very boring and so predictable
housearrestedever20 April 2021
This is such a one-way developed and too predictable movie. An adultery story in French style. The peeking through each other's windows and the desires are just so obvious that we don't even have to guess what will happen the next and soon. The other half of these two couples are just blindly naive? Anyway, you do need some patience to sit through it, if you are interested in such lame adultery cases that you might not see so often in your regular life.
Engaging 80's Truffaut about obsessive love
Red-Barracuda21 August 2017
This latter period François Truffaut film was one passed on to me by a very kind fellow IMDb user. Having seen Truffaut's Jules et Jim (1962) and not having been particularly blown away by it, I have to admit having feelings of caution with regards this one; particularly given certain similar themes in the plot-line. So I was very pleasantly surprised to find myself enjoying this one a great deal more. The story happens in a village in France where a young couple live a contented life. The husband's world is soon turned upside down; however, when a new couple moves in next door in which it turns out the wife was an old lover of his from a relationship that ended acrimoniously.
This is a story about intense yet frustrated love and obsession. It worked very well for me, as the simple story has some fine performances underpinning the drama. Gérard Depardieu and Fanny Ardent have strong chemistry in the central roles of the adulterous characters conducting their passionate yet troubled affair. As we follow them through the motions, details slowly emerge about their history, although we are never fully given all the pieces to put together all the facets pertaining to their turbulent romantic past. Some mystery remains, which feels right and only makes the characters more compelling if anything. Like Jules et Jim it is in essence a somewhat tragic love story which doesn't really have a good ultimate message to give about the outcome of passionate love affairs. The most important character aside from the central couple is Madame Odile who runs a tennis club that acts as a social hub of the small local community. She became crippled for life after attempting suicide after being rejected by the man she loved; her story acts as a warning from the past for the young lovers, a warning that they ultimately do not or cannot heed.
This is a story about intense yet frustrated love and obsession. It worked very well for me, as the simple story has some fine performances underpinning the drama. Gérard Depardieu and Fanny Ardent have strong chemistry in the central roles of the adulterous characters conducting their passionate yet troubled affair. As we follow them through the motions, details slowly emerge about their history, although we are never fully given all the pieces to put together all the facets pertaining to their turbulent romantic past. Some mystery remains, which feels right and only makes the characters more compelling if anything. Like Jules et Jim it is in essence a somewhat tragic love story which doesn't really have a good ultimate message to give about the outcome of passionate love affairs. The most important character aside from the central couple is Madame Odile who runs a tennis club that acts as a social hub of the small local community. She became crippled for life after attempting suicide after being rejected by the man she loved; her story acts as a warning from the past for the young lovers, a warning that they ultimately do not or cannot heed.
An OK film but the script is never convincing and the characters never seem real
bob the moo29 October 2004
In a small village, two houses face one another across the old village street. In one house lives Bernard Coudray, his wife and his young children, while the other house is empty. When new neighbors move into the house Bernard meets Philippe Bauchard and is polite but later Philippe's wife arrives at the new home and Bernard is shocked to recognise her as Mathilde, a lover from many years ago. Both of them keep this fact from their respective partners and try to keep themselves to themselves as much as they can but it is only a matter of time before repressed passions stir within one another and their hearts are reopened.
I'm not trying to enforce stereotypes here but there is something about this film that is undeniably, well, French. The emotions are destructive, the passion searing, the drama never giving into shouting but always calmly talking about their pain. Unfortunately (for me anyroads) this made the film hard to really get into, because I was never able to identify with their feelings (even if I could with their basic situation) or rather the way they handled them. So the consumed love or the repressed anger never convinced or engaged me. This left the film to just keep moving and keep things happening but, in a very Gaelic fashion, the drama tends to be all in the heart rather than on the screen and it never really is gripping as a story. Towards the end it distinctly slow and made me feel that it should have ended sooner the predictable and cold ending didn't help either.
The direction is good and makes the film feel intimate, but not to the point where it covered for the lack of the same in the script. The cast do well even if I felt they weren't acting like real people would in the same situation. Depardieu works hard to be heart broken and wracked and he does it well despite me feeling like he isn't totally sold on how he is acting. Ardant is also good but again she overplays her actions. Both Garcin and Baumgartner are poor far too stiff and accepting of the adultery and again all part of the film not convincing me.
Overall this is an OK film but it never really convinced me (how many times have I said that now!). It is interesting for the first half and quite engaging but it doesn't really keep in reality and predictably becomes all very tragic and French. The cast try their best and the director adds intimacy but the script is not as good as it should have been and I never felt that I was following real relationship at any point.
I'm not trying to enforce stereotypes here but there is something about this film that is undeniably, well, French. The emotions are destructive, the passion searing, the drama never giving into shouting but always calmly talking about their pain. Unfortunately (for me anyroads) this made the film hard to really get into, because I was never able to identify with their feelings (even if I could with their basic situation) or rather the way they handled them. So the consumed love or the repressed anger never convinced or engaged me. This left the film to just keep moving and keep things happening but, in a very Gaelic fashion, the drama tends to be all in the heart rather than on the screen and it never really is gripping as a story. Towards the end it distinctly slow and made me feel that it should have ended sooner the predictable and cold ending didn't help either.
The direction is good and makes the film feel intimate, but not to the point where it covered for the lack of the same in the script. The cast do well even if I felt they weren't acting like real people would in the same situation. Depardieu works hard to be heart broken and wracked and he does it well despite me feeling like he isn't totally sold on how he is acting. Ardant is also good but again she overplays her actions. Both Garcin and Baumgartner are poor far too stiff and accepting of the adultery and again all part of the film not convincing me.
Overall this is an OK film but it never really convinced me (how many times have I said that now!). It is interesting for the first half and quite engaging but it doesn't really keep in reality and predictably becomes all very tragic and French. The cast try their best and the director adds intimacy but the script is not as good as it should have been and I never felt that I was following real relationship at any point.
Fanny Ardant carries the film
bob99810 September 2023
Depardieu is capable in this role of a happy middle class guy who is ready for a crazy adventure that will threaten his marriage and security, but it is Fanny Ardant as the woman who will upset the apple cart decisively who really shines in this movie. She's like a classical heroine in her recklessness and willingness to grab all the happiness she can find in this small town. Her husband is devoted to her, thoughtful and pragmatic--that's probably why she risks everything pursuing Depardieu.
My enjoyment was diminished by the insertion of Mme Jouve's character who offers a commentary on the events on screen, for reasons I can only guess at. Did Truffaut not trust his own story telling skills that he had to write in this superfluous character, or did he owe a favour to Veronique Silver? We'll never know.
My enjoyment was diminished by the insertion of Mme Jouve's character who offers a commentary on the events on screen, for reasons I can only guess at. Did Truffaut not trust his own story telling skills that he had to write in this superfluous character, or did he owe a favour to Veronique Silver? We'll never know.
There are movies that make you want to fall in love. This isn't one of them.
Atreyu_II2 June 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Although not too extreme, this is a harsh and nearly sick movie about love. Or, to be more precise, the dark side of love. It starts off as a perfectly normal movie: an ordinary man named Bernard Coudray lives with his wife and his innocent son Thomas. This family leads a normal life, plus Bernard doesn't seem to be the kind of guy who looks for problems where they don't exist. That is, until Mathilde (an ex-lover) unexpectedly becomes his neighbor. Seemingly concerned with her presence, Bernard avoids her at first, but it doesn't take much time until their affair begins... a strange and completely crazy love affair, I'll say! Not even these two people understand their love/hate relationship. It's as if they can't be with each other and yet they can't be without each other.
Overall, an okay movie but far from being great. It affects you in some way, however, as most Truffaut's films do somehow. The most affecting part of this one is the tragic ending. The sick side of love in this movie alone is enough to make you fear falling in love but the ending definitely scares you off from that.
A young Gérard Depardieu stars here in one of his best actings and movie roles and, unlike in much later movies, here he is perfectly normal and doesn't overact and isn't annoying. Fanny Ardant is great too. Véronique Silver plays well the interesting character Madame Jouve and Olivier Becquaert is excellent as sweet little Thomas.
Overall, an okay movie but far from being great. It affects you in some way, however, as most Truffaut's films do somehow. The most affecting part of this one is the tragic ending. The sick side of love in this movie alone is enough to make you fear falling in love but the ending definitely scares you off from that.
A young Gérard Depardieu stars here in one of his best actings and movie roles and, unlike in much later movies, here he is perfectly normal and doesn't overact and isn't annoying. Fanny Ardant is great too. Véronique Silver plays well the interesting character Madame Jouve and Olivier Becquaert is excellent as sweet little Thomas.
Soap opera for high brows
buff-2919 November 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Despite its distinguished provenance, and despite the presence of the stunning Fanny Ardant, this is pure soap. It even has a local busybody chattering background on the characters, a tested U.S. soap-opera technique. Gerard Depardieu is wooden and unconvincing as Ardant's lover. The rest of the cast (except for Ardant) is adequate at best. I don't think Truffault ever made a worse movie. It does exhibit his economy of expression and beautiful style, but nothing can save it from its own sentimentality and simple-mindedness. I don't believe this turkey has ever been in general release in the U.S., which should soften the hearts of even the most savage haters of the French. They did us the favor of keeping this one mostly to themselves.
La femme d'à côté - François Truffaut's fatal love story
eightylicious16 March 2022
François Truffaut was one of the most famous auteur directors, and along with Godard, the founder of the French New Wave. In his short yet glorious career, he primary dealt with two themes: childhood, and love. There was the love for someone that led to the death of others in "La mariée était en noir", the love between actors that shows in their film performances in "La nuit américaine", and, of course, the passionate love story with a fatal end in "La femme d'à coté ".
In a provincial city, one family lives in harmony: a man, Bernard (Gérard Depardieu), his wife, and his son Thomas. Bernard has nothing to be afraid of; he lives the life of a respected husband and father, loves his wife, and she loves him too. Or, so it seems. For the truth is going to be uncovered when a new couple moves next door. Mathilde (Fanny Ardant) and Philippe are an equally loving and socially acceptable couple, who ostensibly have no relation to the other one. Yet, when Bernard sees Mathilde for the first time, old memories come alive; she was his old love, with whom they had a passionate relationship. And so, Bernard wants to live the passion again, a decision which will result in consequences unforeseen by both lovers. None of the two knew what their end would be.
With this film François Truffaut examined the nature of human relationships. The two heroes are examples of spontaneous, young people, who have married someone charming and loving, yet unsatisfying when a real relationship is concerned. They have a nice reputation, and talents (Mathilde is an excellent cartoonist who illustrates and writes children's books), but what they really desire is the passion inherent in true love, whatever the consequences. This stance may easily be perceived as egoistic, since in the surface, these two think only about their love and future, without caring about their families, in which they play a prominent role. Surely, it is so. But on the other hand, if the lovers had chosen to give up on their relationship in favour of their relatives, what this would lead to would be just more sorrow not only for them, but for their loved ones too, as Bernard and Mathilde would now be obliged to live in relationships that, while pleasant, would have no sentimental benefit to them. They wouldn't be passionate towards their spouses, longing for real love elsewhere. At the end of the day, their decision to live their romance is harmful for the short term, but beneficial for the long term.
Or so until the ending occurs.
The ending of "La femme d'à côté" is particularly unexpected, not only because of the aforementioned turn the relationship of Bernard and Mathilde had taken, but also because of the fact that they were in a stage between totally giving up and regretting it had happened. It's the apt ending to a turbulent relationship, full of both love and emotional coldness, joy and sadness. It is the resurrection of a love by ultimately killing it, in some way.
As with other Truffaut films, the director did an amazing job at portraying this romance unfold. The characters are well-developed, shown as versatile humans and not just one dimensional selfish characters. The style of direction is also exquisite, featuring the calm, elegant change of scenes characteristics of a Truffaut movie.
Apart form the direction, what made the story come alive was the acting of the protagonists. Both Depardieu and Ardant gave extremely emotionally intense performances, showing the transition from joy and childish enthusiasm because of the resurrection of a Long-lost love, to the deep pain that it creates to those experiencing it. They could be both calm, reserved and angry, frustrated at the other's hesitation. The character of Bernard especially had this fickle state of mind. Remarkable was also the personage of Madame Juvet, a handicapped old woman living close to Bernard. She was the narrator of the story, and at the same time an active member of it, helping the young man deal with the sudden feelings that overtake him when he meets Mathilde. She is the one who warms him of the dangers of true love, telling him the story of her disability's origin; she got it by throwing herself out of her appartment's window, not wanting to meet a former lover who had married and was coming to Paris. She couldn't stand this betrayal. Is love worth of all that? Bernard and Mathilde soon find out.
As for their spouses, they were representative of the common middle-class members of the time. They were just ordinary people, loyal to their lover's, who wouldn't tolerate any infidelity by them. They essentially serve as the opposite personalities to the passionate Bernard and Mathilde, whose intense relationship comes in stark contrast with their more reserved conjugal lives.
All in all, François Truffaut made, with "La femme d'à côté", a gripping, emotionally charged film that functions as both a study of human relationships and a tragic story. One thing is sure; Truffaut didn't intend this to be a cautionary tale. For, at the end of the day, we don't remember neither the lives of the heroes within their families, nor their careers. What stays in our memories is the love of Bernard towards Mathilde, and her own towards him, one that was so strong that even destiny couldn't tear them apart.
In a provincial city, one family lives in harmony: a man, Bernard (Gérard Depardieu), his wife, and his son Thomas. Bernard has nothing to be afraid of; he lives the life of a respected husband and father, loves his wife, and she loves him too. Or, so it seems. For the truth is going to be uncovered when a new couple moves next door. Mathilde (Fanny Ardant) and Philippe are an equally loving and socially acceptable couple, who ostensibly have no relation to the other one. Yet, when Bernard sees Mathilde for the first time, old memories come alive; she was his old love, with whom they had a passionate relationship. And so, Bernard wants to live the passion again, a decision which will result in consequences unforeseen by both lovers. None of the two knew what their end would be.
With this film François Truffaut examined the nature of human relationships. The two heroes are examples of spontaneous, young people, who have married someone charming and loving, yet unsatisfying when a real relationship is concerned. They have a nice reputation, and talents (Mathilde is an excellent cartoonist who illustrates and writes children's books), but what they really desire is the passion inherent in true love, whatever the consequences. This stance may easily be perceived as egoistic, since in the surface, these two think only about their love and future, without caring about their families, in which they play a prominent role. Surely, it is so. But on the other hand, if the lovers had chosen to give up on their relationship in favour of their relatives, what this would lead to would be just more sorrow not only for them, but for their loved ones too, as Bernard and Mathilde would now be obliged to live in relationships that, while pleasant, would have no sentimental benefit to them. They wouldn't be passionate towards their spouses, longing for real love elsewhere. At the end of the day, their decision to live their romance is harmful for the short term, but beneficial for the long term.
Or so until the ending occurs.
The ending of "La femme d'à côté" is particularly unexpected, not only because of the aforementioned turn the relationship of Bernard and Mathilde had taken, but also because of the fact that they were in a stage between totally giving up and regretting it had happened. It's the apt ending to a turbulent relationship, full of both love and emotional coldness, joy and sadness. It is the resurrection of a love by ultimately killing it, in some way.
As with other Truffaut films, the director did an amazing job at portraying this romance unfold. The characters are well-developed, shown as versatile humans and not just one dimensional selfish characters. The style of direction is also exquisite, featuring the calm, elegant change of scenes characteristics of a Truffaut movie.
Apart form the direction, what made the story come alive was the acting of the protagonists. Both Depardieu and Ardant gave extremely emotionally intense performances, showing the transition from joy and childish enthusiasm because of the resurrection of a Long-lost love, to the deep pain that it creates to those experiencing it. They could be both calm, reserved and angry, frustrated at the other's hesitation. The character of Bernard especially had this fickle state of mind. Remarkable was also the personage of Madame Juvet, a handicapped old woman living close to Bernard. She was the narrator of the story, and at the same time an active member of it, helping the young man deal with the sudden feelings that overtake him when he meets Mathilde. She is the one who warms him of the dangers of true love, telling him the story of her disability's origin; she got it by throwing herself out of her appartment's window, not wanting to meet a former lover who had married and was coming to Paris. She couldn't stand this betrayal. Is love worth of all that? Bernard and Mathilde soon find out.
As for their spouses, they were representative of the common middle-class members of the time. They were just ordinary people, loyal to their lover's, who wouldn't tolerate any infidelity by them. They essentially serve as the opposite personalities to the passionate Bernard and Mathilde, whose intense relationship comes in stark contrast with their more reserved conjugal lives.
All in all, François Truffaut made, with "La femme d'à côté", a gripping, emotionally charged film that functions as both a study of human relationships and a tragic story. One thing is sure; Truffaut didn't intend this to be a cautionary tale. For, at the end of the day, we don't remember neither the lives of the heroes within their families, nor their careers. What stays in our memories is the love of Bernard towards Mathilde, and her own towards him, one that was so strong that even destiny couldn't tear them apart.
an interesting movie about obsession with a glaring plot hole
planktonrules10 August 2005
Warning: Spoilers
This was a really unusual and very interesting film--especially since the way the movie ends took me by surprise. I won't reveal it, as it might spoil the impact.
However, there is a serious problem with the plot. Like some other Truffaut films (such as Confidentially Yours), the main theme of the movie MUST be sustained by the actors behaving, at least initially, in a very improbable manner. Let me explain. The leading man and his family live next to a house that is for rent. A man leases it and when the first couple meet the new neighbors, the leading man realizes the new neighbor's wife is his old lover. This all occurs by chance. Okay. This is REALLY improbable but what happens next REALLY strains credibility. Neither the leading man or his ex-lover tell their spouses the truth about their past and this leads to a lot of uncomfortable moments. Considering BOTH were unmarried when their affair occurred and they currently had stable and loving marriages, it just didn't make sense why they didn't bring it all out into the open and have a good laugh about it.
If you ignore this credibility gap, the rest of the movie is really good and takes a lot of surprising twists. It's worth a watch, but is far from Truffaut's best.
However, there is a serious problem with the plot. Like some other Truffaut films (such as Confidentially Yours), the main theme of the movie MUST be sustained by the actors behaving, at least initially, in a very improbable manner. Let me explain. The leading man and his family live next to a house that is for rent. A man leases it and when the first couple meet the new neighbors, the leading man realizes the new neighbor's wife is his old lover. This all occurs by chance. Okay. This is REALLY improbable but what happens next REALLY strains credibility. Neither the leading man or his ex-lover tell their spouses the truth about their past and this leads to a lot of uncomfortable moments. Considering BOTH were unmarried when their affair occurred and they currently had stable and loving marriages, it just didn't make sense why they didn't bring it all out into the open and have a good laugh about it.
If you ignore this credibility gap, the rest of the movie is really good and takes a lot of surprising twists. It's worth a watch, but is far from Truffaut's best.
Very dull
GiraffeDoor19 March 2019
master piece
eric112 November 2000
Truffaut knows who to tell a story on the screen, this is not a new story, I have seen one like this before in une femme francaise. But a big movie funs can feel better in this one, the way the scenes fade in and fade out,the deep-focus images, the music and the camera motions. I know many people don't like subtitled pictures, but this one is really worth to watch.
Odd, off-putting, unconvincing
thor589414 August 2014
Warning: Spoilers
I really wanted to like this one more, it's the kind of domestic drama the French usually do well, but it just didn't work for me. Truffaut takes material grounded in realism and tries to impose a fable-like atmosphere, and ends up in an awkward middle ground. Just one example, he has Fanny Ardant faint at least twice in the movie. Really? Is this 1981 or 1921? I really didn't take to Ardant's performance, though I suspect the script shares the blame for that; she comes off less as a real person than a male construct.
The story--Ardant and her husband move next door to Gerard Depardieu and his wife, the two having had an intense affair a decade earlier--is well told and holds interest, but the details are often unconvincing and there's an off-putting tone to the whole affair. For instance, Ardant and Depardieu act frantic about their secret right from the start--but why? Both were single when they were previously a couple, so there would be no scandal in being honest with their spouses, yet both insist on saying nothing. Later in the film, when the truth is exposed, and by this time the two have become adulterous lovers in the present, the respective spouses are maddeningly reasonable about the whole thing. Yeah yeah, they're French, but really, if betrayed spouses always reacted this mildly, people wouldn't feel the need to hide adultery in the first place.
This vague inauthentic vibe persists right to the melodramatic ending, which also comes off as oddly emotionally flat.
The story--Ardant and her husband move next door to Gerard Depardieu and his wife, the two having had an intense affair a decade earlier--is well told and holds interest, but the details are often unconvincing and there's an off-putting tone to the whole affair. For instance, Ardant and Depardieu act frantic about their secret right from the start--but why? Both were single when they were previously a couple, so there would be no scandal in being honest with their spouses, yet both insist on saying nothing. Later in the film, when the truth is exposed, and by this time the two have become adulterous lovers in the present, the respective spouses are maddeningly reasonable about the whole thing. Yeah yeah, they're French, but really, if betrayed spouses always reacted this mildly, people wouldn't feel the need to hide adultery in the first place.
This vague inauthentic vibe persists right to the melodramatic ending, which also comes off as oddly emotionally flat.
Old Wine, Even Older Bottles
writers_reign1 May 2005
Believe it or not I want to like Truffaut, I really do, but I wish he'd give me a little help in spots. Coincidentally the opening shot - an ambulance leaving a country house clearly laden with the dead - is not unlike the opening shot of Chabrol's latest film, The Bridesmaid. In both cases we know that a given situation has ended in tears and that we are now about to be taken back to the beginning and be privy to its playing out. Despite an antithpathy to Chabrol's leading man and an admiration and respect for Both Truffaut's leads I found it hard to get anything from the Truffaut. I don't really mind his cardboard characters and cardboard situations but if only he had gone to Galeries Lafayette and not Poundstretchers for the cardboard. I've already upset one reader who seems incapable of grasping an essential of journalism is provocation which generates those letters to the editor and understands even less that opinion masquerading as fact is one of the best ways to do it via earlier comments on Truffaut and he seems destined to suffer even more anguish in a moment when I say that I was astounded when this disciple of the 'now', whose mantra was that new is better than good actually used - and not once but twice - an IRIS OUT which dates back to D.W. Griffith. Prior to that he was using Fades extensively. Shame on you, Franny, where's all that nouvelle vague thinking. The 'story' would fit on the head of a pin and still leave room for the King James version of the Bible; Bernard Coudray (Depardieu) is living happily with wife Arlette (Michele Baumgartner) in the middle of East Jesus when the empty house next door is suddenly occupied by Philippe Bauchard (Henri Garcin) and his wife Mathilde (Ardant). 'Meaninful' glances between Depardieu and Ardant complemented by music cues as subtle as a cream pie in the kisser alert us to the fact that these two have a history. Now it's only a question of how long before they get back in the sack and one of them says 'if I can't have you no one will'. Depardieu and Ardant are class acts and they almost create believable characters but with no help from either script or direction their hands are tied. Worth seeing - once if only to learn how NOT to do it.
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