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La Pointe Courte

Play trailer Poster for La Pointe Courte 1956 1h 16m Romance Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 4 Reviews 72% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
A young man (Philippe Noiret) who is a native of the seaside village of La Pointe Courte, France is having a hard time understanding why his bored, Paris-born wife (Sylvia Montfort) of four years is unhappy with their marriage. The couple visit La Pointe Courte as they try to resolve their problems. Meanwhile, the locals of the rural community grapple with the hardships and tragedies of their daily lives: A young child dies, a government official hassles fishermen and a marriage is arranged.
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La Pointe Courte

Critics Reviews

View All (4) Critics Reviews
Justine Smith Vague Visages How unusual to see a woman’s perspective on love presented so plainly as Varda does in La Pointe Courte. Jun 6, 2024 Full Review Dennis Harvey 48 Hills While the star auteurs of the nouvelle vague were almost entirely a male roster, Varda arguably commenced the entire movement with 1955’s La Pointe Courte... Mar 22, 2024 Full Review Erica Peplin Vague Visages The married couple’s conversation in La Pointe Courte is a spellbinding predecessor to Richard Linklater’s Before Trilogy’ and further proof that no great film needs ‘action’ to be great. Dec 5, 2023 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews The sublime depiction of a marriage on the rocks is skilfully presented in an innovative way against the daily life of the small Mediterranean fishing village. Rated: A Mar 6, 2013 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Abe A Strange movie. I enjoyed it. On the one hand I was bored. On the other hand, I didn't want it to finish. I can't explain this feeling. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/09/24 Full Review A R This movie is incredibly inventive and required viewing for anyone trying to familiarize themselves with French new wave. It blends Italian neo-realism with the French new wave to come, so it's a spectacular balance or authentic realism and melodramatic, artsy beauty. Both halves of the movie are fascinating in their own way but, personally, I'll be re-watching for the dialogue between the married couple - which can be over-the-top and angsty at times, but feels honest too. In between our married couple and fishermen, there are beautiful scenes of the surroundings that really highlight what an incredible eye Agnes has. All that in mind, this is a beautiful, artsy film, but it's pacing can be jarring and slow, so I never felt fully immersed. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/03/24 Full Review Fra B In her feature movie Varda dares to use the "Bergman shot" (in very Bergmanesque manner to be sure), but you know what, she gained it, with this realistic picture: she immediately shows her own style and I'm not an expert but it looks damn hard to imitate. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/09/22 Full Review Audience Member The sexual tension between these two was so thin. The whole time, merely seconds away from collapsing into rough, passionate, hot, European sex. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Audience Member The aesthetic importance of this tremendous masterpiece of a debut is equally proportional to its historical one. To begin with, much was made of the fact that the film had been done by "a 25-year-old girl". Little did those bastards know that not only this film would be debatedly considered as the very first film of the French New Wave movement - predating Chabrol's <i>Le Beau Serge</i> (1958) which is the feature that normally carries that credit - but also that Varda would be then called "the grandmother of the New Wave". So we are talking about the legendary first project of a woman that was currently my age. With all due respect, that just turns me on. A lot. Secondly, this is, like stated, a debut. This had been already mentioned, but I bring this up again because Varda only had previous experience as a photographer, and yet, the imagery reaches extraordinary measures of visual poetry, balance and correct panoramic views and character close-ups. It tricks us into thinking that the director had directorial experience already, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. This is a proof that the only thing you need for directing a masterpiece is the heart of an auteur, and not previous experience. You require, however, aesthetic talent, and to firmly believe in the power of what images can communicate. Thirdly, the film is divided into two stories, but not fragmented. Instead, these are told simultaneously. This is extremely important. I. The first story brings up simplicity to the table as it portrays the everyday life of the inhabitants of the existing village La Pointe-Courte. In the context of French cinema, this seems like a transition between one stage and the next. The first stage is visible in this story. The whole depiction, thematically and given the physical settings, is obviously reminiscent from Visconti's unparalleled piece of cinematic Neorealism <i>La Terra Trema: Episodio del Mare</i> (1948). That was the first thing that came to my mind. However, the tone carries a joyous energy, even if images of poverty fill the screen, with a peculiar freshness and tones of humor. So instead of being a furious denunciation against social inequalities and the macroeconomic system, it is simply a picturesque representation of a distant lifestyle that resonates true even in the modern era. II. The second story, believe it or not, brought Resnais and Bergman to my mind. The story is about a couple discussing their bonds and how they must face the emotional and time transcendence of their troubled relationship. Indeed, the film was edited by Alain Resnais, which is noticeable in the most impressionistic segments of the film, from the opening scene to the cinematography employed to focus on what happens in the surroundings of the story. There is a particular scene meant to contrast two differing personalities between the two lovers which is identical to the iconic shot used in <i>Persona</i> (1966) to suggest a personality duality beginning a process of either unification or metaphysical connection. Here, the intention is not that deep, but this scene not only predates Bergman 11 years, but is also explained by what is stated by the woman near the ending: their bonds between both are stronger than themselves. The dialogue handling for emphasizing the depth of their psychological concerns is mindblowing, while imagery subliminally illustrates the points they are making. So this third aspect of the film is just to point out the fact that Varda made a debut with TWO styles, and both are extraordinarily made!! Is she even from this world? My hypothesis is that Resnais grabbed influence from this dual storytelling structure and applied it to his best film <i>Hiroshima mon Amour</i> (1959), where a micro-tragedy (Elle and Lui) mirrors the reconstruction process of a macro-tragedy: Hiroshima's bombing. Similarly, the relationship micro-story happens in the context of a larger macro-story, which are the anecdotes of the village, which range from the tragic to the folkloric and the nostalgic. A rating below 4.5 stars needs a terribly serious justification to convince me otherwise. This is a freakin' cinema phenomenon from one of the few heroines in cinema. 99/100 Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review eric b Sometimes presented as the first film of the French New Wave, "La Pointe-Courte" arrived long before more iconic landmarks like "Breathless" and "The 400 Blows." Director Agnes Varda surveys life in a quaint seaside village, focusing primarily on a troubled couple visiting from Paris (the man is the young Phillippe Noiret, who will be barely recognizable to contemporary fans familiar with his more elderly roles), a pair of naive lovers whose father stands in the way of their courtship and the threat that government regulations pose to the local fishing trade. The tone is charmingly gentle, with a camera meandering between little houses as melancholy clarinets ambiently chirp on the soundtrack. For better or worse, the main couple's dialogue obviously anticipates the later work of directors like Alain Resnais (who is this film's editor) and Jean-Luc Godard -- the two scarcely show any emotion, and instead tend to just abstractly muse about love while looking into the distance. Not too engaging, and such meditations eventually wear out their welcome. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
La Pointe Courte

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Movie Info

Synopsis A young man (Philippe Noiret) who is a native of the seaside village of La Pointe Courte, France is having a hard time understanding why his bored, Paris-born wife (Sylvia Montfort) of four years is unhappy with their marriage. The couple visit La Pointe Courte as they try to resolve their problems. Meanwhile, the locals of the rural community grapple with the hardships and tragedies of their daily lives: A young child dies, a government official hassles fishermen and a marriage is arranged.
Director
Agnès Varda
Screenwriter
Agnès Varda
Production Co
20th Century Fox
Genre
Romance, Comedy
Original Language
Canadian French
Release Date (DVD)
Apr 1, 2014
Runtime
1h 16m
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