Summer (1986)

A typically subtle and just as typically transcendent Eric Rohmer feature, Rayon Vert, the fifth of his Comedies et Proverbes series, establishes a heroine (Marie Rivière) who at first seems passive and fussy to the point of unlikability and then slowly brings viewers to care deeply about her seemingly impossible quest for happiness. A believer in true love, Rivière has nearly reached the end of her youth without finding it, her loneliness and unwillingness to compromise making her out of place amidst family, friends, and the singles scene. Those who dislike Rohmer's verbosity will again find themselves on unfriendly turf here, but they will also have missed much of the point. He's a believer not in speech for its own sake but in the power of dialogue and the ability of debate to push toward a higher understanding. To this end, Rohmer remains sympathetic to each setting Rivière encounters and portions the members of each a sensible contribution to his heroine's internal struggle, even if he ultimately aligns himself with her values. By the film's intensely moving finale, both Rohmer and his heroine have earned its moment of revelation. ~ Keith Phipps, All Movie Guide