43/26
They have a brief romance and then each goes their own way
Synopsis
Mathieu lives in Paris and Alice in a small spa town. To wash away his melancholy, Mathieu goes for thalassotherapy, where by chance he meets Alice.
Winter Moon RisingWritten by Michael Alan Levine and Samuel B Levine
When Mathieu receives the phone call from the theater director whose production he has abandoned, the director’s voice is played by filmmaker Stéphane Brizé himself. This French film by Stéphane Brizé is a sensitive drama/romance, in which former lovers meet again at a different stage in their lives.
Guillaume Canet and Alba Rohrwacher are a well-matched couple whose chemistry was essential to making the film work
I’m a little torn, because the film’s depiction of their (re)connection is well-nuanced and feels true, while there are moments of subtle humor and tender interactions. For example, there is a wedding scene in which two men “sing” (whistle) like birds to each other, conversing quite eloquently and magnetically; they would watch this spin-off.
Yet, coupled with the story’s very familiar beats, it all lacks the weight to justify this extended treatment
However, the film is painfully slow, emotionally concise, and, at nearly two hours long, overstays what would have made it a more effective length. Brizé’s developments and long shots are beautiful, but rather sterile, as are the inner lives of his ailing characters, who are adequately rendered.
