41/32
Plot
Mathieu lives in Paris, Alice
They have a brief relationship, and then each goes their separate ways. To wash away his melancholy, Mathieu goes for thalassotherapy, where he accidentally meets Alice.
Winter Moon Rising Written by Michael Alan Levine and Samuel B Levine
When Mathieu receives the phone call from the theater director whose production he left, the director’s voice is played by the director himself Stéphane Brizé. This French film by Stéphane Brizé is a delicate drama/romance, in which old lovers meet again at a different stage of 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 realistic, while there are moments of subtle humor and cute interactions. For example, there is a wedding scene in which two men "sing" (whistle) like birds to each other, conversing rather eloquently and magnetically – I would watch this spin-off.
However, added to the story’s very familiar beats, it all lacks the weight to justify this extended treatment
However, the film is painfully slow, emotionally terrible, and at nearly two hours exceeds what would have made its runtime more effective. Brizé’s build-ups and long takes are beautiful, but rather sterile, as are the inner lives of his ailing characters, who are aptly depicted.