Full Moon in Paris

 Year of Release:  1984

Director:  Éric Rohmer

Screenplay:  Éric Rohmer

Starring:  Pascale Ogier, Tchéky Karyo, Fabrice Luchini

Running Time:  102 minutes

Genre:  Drama, comedy

Young interior designer Louise (Ogier) lives with her fiancé Rémi (Karyo) in the suburbs of Paris.  Feeling left out from the nightlife of the city centre and missing the freedom of her single life, Louise decides to buy a pied-à-terre as a second home.

This is the fourth of writer-director Éric Rohmer's "Comedies and Proverbs" cycle.  It's a well made film, with each shot elegantly composed and staged.  It consists of long conversations about the nature of love and freedom.  Louise and Rémi love each other, but they are very different.  Louise wants to enjoy her life and freedom but Rémi wants to stay home, and resents her from going out without him, although Louise also enjoys hanging out in her new apartment working and reading and relaxing on her own.  However, it soon turns out that freedom can have drastic consequences.  It's a slow-moving film, and the deliberate pace may alienate some viewers, however, for the patient viewer, it does have it's rewards.   The performances are appealing, particularly Pascale Ogier, who is fantastic in the lead role.

Fabrice Luchini and Pascale Ogier in Full Moon in Paris