Pauline at the Beach Reviews

• Very frightening censorship! Has '1984' already happened?

  
  By A2NQ67DP3D5AXI on 2003-03-18
  'Wag the dog' was a film that everybody thought was just another comedy, more or less. This edition of 'Pauline at the Beach' may make some people think otherwise (provided they read this review).
  Towards the end of the first quarter of the film, Pauline wanders around the house and steps up to a window and peeks in. There she sees her older female friend lying stark naked in the arms of a man Pauline also knows. You see a full frontal nudity in the film here - that is, if you saw the film when it premiered in Europe, as I did.
  On this DVD however, you will see a blanket covering the lower halves of the bodies, taking away all the impact of the scene. Now, that would not be so terrible if the cover-up was obvious. It would still be sad because of the censorship, but it would not be so frigtening as this is: BECAUSE THERE IS NO WAY OF TELLING THAT THERE IS A CENSORSHIP HERE! The blanket fits perfectly into the picture and had I not remembered this scene in particular ..... , I would never have suspected any foul play here.
  The film is not without interest anyway and, low and behold, there is another full frontal in it - so why did thet cover up this one. Did some rich and influential american mary the actress in question or what is goin on.
  Other censorship, like the omitting of a very funny nude scene in 'There was a Crooked Man (with H. Fonda and K. Douglas)', in which the riot scene when the convicts brake out from the wall of the prison and chases the society woman, whom the have stripped (off-screen) and who, by now, is nude and fleeing - everything filmed from far away as not to be speculative but still possible to make out - when such a scene is just cut out of the film, you still know what's going on somehow. But this is something quite different! It's really exceptionally foul play.
  I shudder at what will be happening in the future. .....
  
  

• Pauline At The Beach

  
  By A235JN9A0V2DPI on 2004-07-20
  This is such a nice movie, it's a pity that Pauline (Amanda Langlet) wasn't nude or topless in it. She has a nice body and wears some very sexy bikinis. There is no nudity or violence in this movie.
  
  
  

• Delightful Pauline

  
  By A2H9LUUCYE0KJC on 2003-03-09
  Pauline at the Beach is a charming, funny and wise film from Eric Rohmer. It is the story of pretty teenager Pauline who is staying with her older cousin Marion on the French coast. In the course of this holiday they interact with three men, which leads to romance for both of them and to various complications. The story is engaging, with fully developed believable characters. The acting is superb, especially that of Amanda Langlet as Pauline. Rohmer shows once more that he remains in tune with youth and can direct a performance from a teenager better than most.

  The film is part of Rohmer's comedies and proverbs series, which makes it a pity that the film's proverb by Chretien de Troyes is left untranslated on the DVD. This proverb ("Qui trop parole, il se mesfait") means roughly that he who talks too much damages himself. This is an interesting comment on the film, both in terms of what happens and in terms of Rohmer's style of filmmaking. As in all Rohmer films there is a lot of talk with characters endlessly discussing the nature of love and their relationships. Rohmer seems to be saying that it is this talk which leads to the problems they encounter, for by intellectualising they fail to talk honestly and directly.

  Rohmer is not for everyone. Even fans of French film may find his films difficult. But he is a director who is well worth getting to know and Pauline at the Beach is a very good introduction to his work. It is light and beautiful to look at with stunning photography of French beaches. This is a fine DVD with a good print shown in its original aspect ratio of 1.66:1. The sound is clear and audible and the dialogue, as far as I could tell, is translated well. For those with better French than mine, the subtitles are removable. The only extra is a trailer without subtitles. For Rohmer fans this DVD is essential, for those who have yet to discover him, my advice is to give Pauline a try.
  
  

• A Comedy of Romantic Jostling at the Beach

  
  By A1X1RWRPSAL206 on 2003-03-07
  "Pauline at the Beach" is a fun comedy of errors set along the beaches of western Normandy in the early 1980s.

  Pauline (played by Amanda Langlet) is a fifteen-year old spending part of her summer vacation with her gorgeous, divorced cousin Marion (played by Arielle Dombasle) at a home loaned by Marion's brother. Pauline wants to make friends and has never been in love before. Marion believes love erupts passionately and spontaneously. Both are in for adventures.

  Graduate student Pierre (played by Pascal Greggory) still carries a torch for Marion from the days before she married five years ago. Meanwhile, he wants to teach Pauline and Marion wind surfing. Divorced ethnologist Henri (played by Feodor Atkine) shows up and attracts Marion. Sylvain (played by Simon de La Brosse) is a local guy Pauline's age who takes an interest in her. There is a strolling vendor of peanuts and candy, Louisette, who is extra friendly with Henri, but is there a connection with Sylvain too? Just how well do you have to know someone before falling in love? All the makings of conflict and misunderstanding are there. Both Pauline and Marion learn to manage their interpretations and feelings.

  The movie moves along nicely, although there are some reasonably interesting stops for discussion of the values and expectations of falling in love. The actors all do a good job, especially Dombasle and de La Brosse. Marion and Louisette have nude scenes; all characters have bathing suit scenes. The photography and direction are fine.

  The main negative is the lack of a commentary track or other features, other than the original trailer and a few other MGM trailers. There is no paper insert with chapter titles. The movie is in monaural French with optional English, French, or Spanish subtitles.
  
  

• Bravo MGM!

  
  By A3TGD1UTG4V072 on 2003-03-09
  An absolutely perfect job. The pristine transfer shows this film in a comepletely new light. The colors are vibrant, lending a real "summer" feel to the movie. There is not a hint of dirt or damage to the film. It looks like a new transfer was struck for this DVD. You have the choice of English, French, and Spanish subtitles which could also be shut off completely if desired. After many poor DVD transfers of Rohmer films, we finally have one that is worthy of such a fine director. Let's hope his other titles eventually get this same treatment.
  
  
• I loved this movie...
  By A1K9QL9HYVJCL8 on 2004-05-08
  Rare is a movie where you can get into the head of a character who acts like a real person. I would love to find more movies like this. This movie is about a teenager and her adult cousin who vacation at the beach, and about the people they meet and relationships they form. And for those who did enjoy this movie, check out "A Summer's Tale". You will be able to see Pauline (the teenager in this movie) 13 years older. Rohmer is a fantastic director who looks at people, and lets them display their humanity. I highly reccomend this movie for people of any age who are interested in the interpersonal dynamics between people.

  I also reccomend this movie because it stands up to repeated veiwings. With each additional viewing, more can be discovered about the characters.
  
  

• Pauline Plus Fun
  By A2P5DZA3DQHQUA on 2002-01-23
  One of my favorite past-times is watching foreign films, especially French films. This past weekend while waiting for the late play-off game, I ran across "Pauline At The Beach". It was on HBO or ShowTime, which is really not important. The movie is filmed somewhere in France along a wonderful beach. The characters are all well played, the story line is well written and I think it was a fun movie. If you do not like nudity or sub-titles, can't stand the French, hate wine, well, better you should choose another movie. If you like movies with a little depth, check it out.
  
  
• A very intelligent movie
  By A13PD81EKUMR7A on 2004-04-13
  This is a movie where there is no action, rather we are the fly on the wall and we listen in to conversations. The main character in the movie is Pauline, a teenager, vacationing at the beach with her older cousin. The older cousin is married, but not happily married. During their vacation, they meet some men, have conversations about life, and love. We see relationships develop, others fall apart, some tell the truth, and others lie. What this film illustrates, in such a subtle way, is the people who are honest are the ones who are the most happy. Those who lie to others, or to themselves, seem stuck in a melancholic exsistance. By the end of the movie, it turns out the teenage girl is the one who is the wisest of them all.

  The DVD has good picture quality, as good as from any movie made in the 1980's I have seen. You can turn the subtitles on or off, unlike some DVDs that burn the subtitles into the picture.
  
  

• A flirtatious philosophy discussion of love...
  By A6ADO7B6FUVN on 2004-05-11
  Pauline at the Beach is exactly what the title suggests as it depicts the end of the 15-year-old Pauline's summer vacation. Pauline spends her time with her older cousin Marion, a stunningly attractive woman, who is in the middle of a divorce. Marion is getting away form her husband by staying at Pauline's parents summer home as she is candidly displaying her body and seeking attention from men. Pauline is a curious teenager that seeks love and what it all means as she innocently discovers the different shades of love at the French-Atlantic coast.

  Eric Rohmer wrote and created a flirtatious drama in Pauline at the Beach, which in all essence is a philosophical discussion of love. The discussion is apparent as the dialogues in the story generate the driving fundamental theme, love, which is submerged in all conversations in the film. Under Rohmer's direction the cinematic debate becomes an enlightening experience as it displays several different angles of how love is either reciprocal or one-sided. Through these insights of experience of love Pauline at the Beach offers a delightful and intriguing cinematic experience.
  
  

• Love in a number of dimensions
  By A2CW9IQAPFEYLM on 2005-11-14
  
  The third in Eric Rohmer's "Comedies and Proverbs" series, this movie depicts the hypocrisies of adult relationships as they occur in contrast to the open honesty of young (teenage) love. Pauline (Amanda Langlet) is a 15 year old spending the summer at the beach with her older cousin Marion (Arielle Dombasle), a self-possessed and self-disillusioned woman.
  
  Marion gives a haughty lecture at the beginning of the movie about her ideas of love, and then goes about making a sham of every one of them as she becomes involved with three men. One watches this woman and can't wait for her to get her come-uppance, which finally occurs - but it has no effect and she remains self-deluded. Meanwhile, Pauline meets a boy and has her own experiences and tends to view Marion's life from a distance. As usual Rohmer is right on target and insightfully funny. The photography of the coast of Normandy is beautiful.
  
  
• One of Rohmer's best films, and the true nature of love...
  By AXQ8T2D9IT6UG on 2006-08-13
  "Pauline At The Beach" (1983) is an interesting film that you are likely to enjoy, even if you are not one of Eric Rohmer's fans. If you are already an admirer, though, you will simply love this movie, due to the fact that it displays the reason why Rohmer is such a respected director.
  
  Before talking about this film, a short introduction to Rohmer for those that are not familiar with him is in order. Rohmer (Jean Marie Maurice Schérer, born in 1920 in France) is part of "La Nouvelle Vague" (= "The new wave"), a movement that says that the director is an "author" and that as such, his personal signature is evident in his work. Among the most well-known films of this French director, there is a cycle of films called "Six Moral Tales", a series called "Comedies and Proverbs" (in which each film is based on a different proverb), and a third series entitled "Tales of the Four Seasons".
  
  "Pauline At The Beach" (= "Pauline à la plage"») is the third film in the "Comedies and Proverbs" series, and the proverb around which it is centered is "Qui trop parole, il se mesfait". The plot is not difficult to follow, but it is interesting, specially if you pay close attention to the dialogues among the characters, a Rohmer trademark.
  
  The main character is Pauline (Amanda Langlet), a young teenager that goes to the beach with Marion (Arielle Dombasle), a relative that has divorced recently and is ready for something new, in other words an affair. Pierre (Pascal Greggory), an old acquaintance and Henri (Feodor Atkine), a newcomer, vie for Marion's attention. Pauline thinks that Pierre is the right one for her cousin, but Marion has other ideas, preferring Henri. Henri is not as smitten with her as Pierre, but that, and the fact that he remains elusive, are part of his attraction from Marion's point of view. Pauline will also meet a young boy, Sylvain (Simon de La Brosse), with whom she begins something resembling a relationship. But how will her cousin's love life affect her own? And will their differing views regarding love affect their new relationships?
  
  The dialogue about the true nature of love among Pauline, Marion, Pierre and Henry is one of the highlights of this film. The undercurrents between the older characters are deep, and in that sense, Pauline directness is refreshing. This dialogue also allows the spectator to get at least an idea of how things are going to end for each of the characters, even though, of course, there are some unexpected surprises.
  
  All in all, I think this is one of Rohmer's best films, along with "A summer tale", "A winter tale" and "Boyfriends and girlfriends". Highly recommended!
  
  Belen Alcat
  
  
• Pauline at the Beach
  By A10ODC971MDHV8 on 2007-07-09
  One of Eric Rohmer's most enjoyable meditations on love and its discontents, "Pauline" is abetted by the presence of Langlet, an endearing and assured young actress. Rohmer takes his time observing his five characters and lets us get to know their (often deceptive) behavior, a tack that works wonders in his lively world of erotic farce. Jealousy, indiscretion, and human foibles are the thematic materials Rohmer works with here, all of which enmesh vain Marion in a love triangle of sorts, but it's young Pauline who seems to have the best head on her shoulders when it comes to sex and relationships. Smart, funny, insightful, and yes, trés sexy.
  
  
• Shocking
  By A14O5HB87ROHD on 2006-02-09
  I remember this film from back in the day, so long ago that I couldn't recall whether I liked it or dissed it then. I was shocked, shocked to find this is a truly wonderful film. (I finally remembered how much I hated it back then...I thought Pauline and her boyfriend were the only honest characters in an otherwise dreary comedy of ill-adult-manners.)
  
  Hah. Now I've been around the block a couple of times, and let me tell you, this film is a hoot. It can really take you back. All true. All real. In living color.
  
  Vive la France!
  
  
• Rohmer Gives Us a Delictable Morsel
  By A2XRZV63X79YSJ on 2006-03-20
  Pauline at the Beach was part of Eric Rohmer's Comedies et Proverbes series. Each film explores relationships between men and women. This is a piece of fluff. But that is not a negative. This piece of fluff is truly delicious and a tasty morsel to be relished.
  
  Pauline is a school girl who is finishing her summer holiday with her cousin Marion at a family seaside cottage. Marion is a fashion designer whose marriage has failed.
  
  On their first day on the beach they meet Pierre, an old flame of Marion's and Henri a casual acquaintance of Pierre. Henri is also divorced and has a young daughter Marie.
  
  Pierre invites all to dinner at his place. This scene is very important as each describes love and this is how the rest of the film is set in motion. Marion equates fidelity with true love. Pierre feels that true love must be eternal. Pauline feels that you must know the other person before you can fall in love. Henri believes that love is only in the present.
  
  They all go dancing and Pierre lets Marion know that he is still in love with her but she lets him know that she loves him as a friend. At the end of the evening, Marion invites Henri back to her place. The next day Pierre is teaching Marion to windsurf and Pauline meets a boy her own age, Sylvan.
  
  It doesn't take long for Henri to show his true colors when Marion and Pauline are away on a day trip, he finds another woman to play with him. He is almost caught by Marion but tells her that Sylvan and the woman were together. This leads to mass misunderstandings and everyone unhappy, well except Henri. In the end, Pauline finds out the truth but decides to let the lying dogs lay.
  
  There is no real depth to the story but there is depth to direction and a marvelous cast.
  
  DVD EXTRAS: None
  
  
  
• light-hearted pretension, but at least it ends pessimistically
  By AUM3YMZ0YRJE0 on 2007-02-15
  This is a coming of age film about getting it while on vacation. Some people are too serious and gushing sincerity, some stupid and self-deluding, some simply lustful and selfish. Pauline observes it all and grows, in my view acting more maturely than the adults. And the ending is realistic. There is nothing slick about Rohmer's production, and I never particularly liked his style and pedantic philosophical monologues, which the French really DO indulge in, in my humble experience. This uncompromising search for true love is endemic with the French I know, and I admit it bores me after having dealt with it for many years. You really can learn from this, at least about French culture, if not how to fall into healthy love. That makes this a pretty good film and it has some funny and unexpected twists. And the end is wonderfully un-Hollywood.
  
  

• Summer
• A Tale of Springtime
• Boyfriends and Girlfriends
• The Aviator's Wife
• A Good Marriage