Genre: psychological drama
Director: François Truffaut
Release: 1975
Studio: United Artists Films et al.
Rating: PG
MBiS score: 8.6/10
Yearning and Sorrow
If you love the movies but don’t know François Truffaut, this enigmatic gem from 1975 is as good a starting point as any to acquaint yourself with one of cinema’s finest directors.
Our film begins in 1863 when a young Frenchwoman named Adèle arrives in Halifax to find her true love, Albert Pinson, a soldier in the British army. Settling into a new life, she rents a room with Mr. and Mrs. Saunders, meets Whistler, a local bookseller, and manages to contact her dreamboat lieutenant…but things don’t turn out exactly as she had planned.
From this story, based on true events and curiously connected to the American continent (for political reasons, no less…), Truffaut has fashioned a troubling but fascinating portrait, that of a woman dedicated to love whatever the odds may be. The film bears his usual trademarks (meticulous writing, an economy of means and an intellectual’s curiosity about period detail) and offers enough twists and turns to keep your mind occupied. Of course, such a movie would fail without good acting, and Isabelle Adjani’s strong performance as Adèle is a highlight in a career full of highlights. Her quiet supporting cast, led by Bruce Robinson as Albert, also delivers quite nicely. And how about that cameo by you know who? Pure cinema!
Need I say more? Not really. This worthy drama has stood the test of time and, if you’re anything like me, it will stay with you well after its surprising denouement. Bravo!
MBiS
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