1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die has been a very useful book for finding the obscure and not very well known little gems from the big screen, this French film is definitely one that I wouldn't have known about before reading it, I was hoping it was deserved placing. Basically devout Catholic Jean-Louis (Jean-Louis Trintignant) has moved to a new town and plans to marry pretty blonde Françoise (Marie-Christine Barrault) who he meets at mass, and he also runs into old childhood friend and Marxist Vidal (Antoine Vitez) in around Christmas time in Clermont-Ferrand. Vidal invites Jean-Louis to meet freethinking and recently divorced Maud (Françoise Fabian), they have interesting conversation about religion, atheism, Blaise Pascal's life and writings on philosophy, faith and mathematics, morality, and love. After a long night Jean-Louis ends up spending the night with Maud, where they end up having more philosophical discussions in her bedroom, and his beliefs on marriage, fidelity and obligation become a dilemma in this situation, although the young woman that he apparently truly loves he has never spoken to. Also starring Léonide Kogan as Concert Violinist, Anne Dubot as Blonde Friend and Guy Léger as Preacher. I admit it being in a foreign language with subtitles made it a little difficult to concentrate on everything, but it did seem a bit more dialogue based anyway, the performances were good, particular Fabian as the beautiful woman that is perhaps trying to seduce the already taken man, it did have some witty words that I read, and it certainly did have engaging moments where you wonder where it's going, it was an interesting drama. It was nominated the Oscars for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay Based on Factual Material or Material Not Previously Published or Produced and Best Foreign Language Film. Very good!
Review of My Night at Maud's
