In my
opinion Michel Deville is (together with Claude Miller) one of the most underrated French directors
from the 80s. His movies have distinct style and bear his personal signature. I
like most of his stuff, from light hearted comedies to more complex and
often dark stuff he made later in his career before retirement. It’s just too
bad that so many of those are unavailable with English subtitles. Damn French
snobs!This one starts totally Rohmer-esque. For the first 20 minutes or so we have our two main ladies protagonists just talking about everything and nothing. Both Dominique Sanda and Geraldine Chaplin are phenomenal and their acting is so effortless that it makes you forget you’re watching a staged movie. Story then moves “on the road” as they take a trip for a few days to countryside and through the conversations they revisit their childhoods and revive their friendship. It’s all very subtle and nostalgic (Google translates French title to “The journey quietly”) with more than enough sexual undertones to keep viewer interested. And frankly, those few nude shots of both of them do help as well.
Truly great
stuff and kind of movie they unfortunately don’t make anymore.
8/10
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