Please note: This was screened in Aug 2019
Come take a leisurely, relaxing trip to the sun-soaked, sandy beaches of Brittany in Eric Rohmer’s bewitchingly funny yet profoundly wise comedy which follows a holidaying teenager as she begins to navigate the messy adult world of love, lust, and deception.
Young and tomboyish, 15 year old Pauline (Amanda Langlet) is spending the end of the summer with her older and soon to be divorced cousin Marion (Arielle Dombasle) in the family cottage on the stunning Atlantic coast of northern France. It isn’t long however before three eligible men attempt to entice them both into romance. But mind games, deceit and lies soon interfere with the amorous mood, threatening to spoil this idyllic playground and Pauline's innocent views of love. Against this summery backdrop of sand and sea, beneath the placid surface fester long-forgotten feelings of desire and envy which refuse to die.
A brilliant erotic comedy, the unrequited love, idle lust and the general folly of adults are backlit against the sincerity and curiosity of one observant teen. Coupled with Matisse-inspired visuals rendered in cinematographer Nestor Almendros’ masterful seaside photography, makes Pauline at the Beach just about the perfect summer art-house movie.