A Good Marriage [dir. Eric Rohmer]

While The Aviator's Wife (reviewed HERE) had a certain sweetness, A Good Marriage (Le Beau Mariage) - Eric Rohmer's second film in his Comedies & Proverbs series, falls into slightly disturbing territory.

Sabine (Béatrice Romand) is an almost pathologically wilful and impulsive woman. At the start of the story she decides, after her married lover takes a call from his family while they are having sex, to renounce the bohemian life and get married herself. Of course, it will have to be the ideal marriage to the ideal person. Sabine's best friend Clarisse (Arielle Dombasle) sets up a meeting with her cousin Edmond (André Dussollier), a good looking successful lawyer. In less than a couple of meetings, Sabine decides he fits the bill and tells all who will listen to her about the impending marriage, other than Edmond himself.



If it were to be made in 90's Hollywood, this would have been a Julia Roberts / Drew Barrymore starring rom-com vehicle and ended with the couple being joined in blissful matrimony. Thankfully, Rohmer's script is more nuanced: it recognizes the darker edges to Julia's self-obsessed worldview and there is a far more naturalistic vibe to both the development of her relationship with Edmond and its denouement. The only distracting factor is Clarisse, who seems to be blind to her friend's emotional insecurities and lack of perception towards other people while fixing a match for her.



A Good Marriage is still a comedy but a more restrained and observant one. Apart from the writing, the performances of the actors go a long way to carrying the drama, and the old-world French architecture seen in many of the outdoor sequences makes for a pleasant backdrop. I am not sure if I will revisit this one, but it is still a worthwhile watch.

Interesting vintage trailer that 'explains' the film to American audiences: