A Summer's Tale (1996)

Review by All Movie Guide
Eric Rohmer once again proves that in matters of the heart, one can never predict what will actually happen, no matter how much one tries to stage-manage events. Young Gaspard (Melvil Poupaud) goes for a summer holiday on the seacoast of France, waiting for the woman whom he thinks he loves, Lena (Aurelia Nolin). But soon he meets and becomes involved in an extended intellectual and perhaps romantic relationship with Margot (Amanda Langlet), a young woman who works as a waitress in a restaurant. As the relationship deepens, Gaspard begins to wonder whom he is really in love with, and his conversations with Margot become more intense. With the gorgeous French seaside as a visual backdrop, Rohmer once again keeps up guessing, as we watch the characters thrust, parry, and then withdraw, all the while concealing their true emotions from the viewer, and often from themselves. Rohmer's romantic odyssey is fresh, original, and deeply personal, making this a film for the thoughtful viewer, who appreciates the nuances of human interaction. As always, Rohmer as a filmmaker demands patience and intellectual involvement from his audience; and as always, the time invested is well rewarded by the film's surprising conclusion. ~ Wheeler Winston Dixon, All Movie Guide