Rendez-Vous

This stylish exploration into sexual desire and frustration sees one of France’s most cherished and talented actresses give a mesmerising performance in her first major role. Juliette Binoche captures perfectly the internal contradictions and complexities that mark André Téchiné’s work and draws us into a beautifully disturbing world.

Nina is a free-spirited yet fragile young girl, who has recently moved to Paris to become an actress and to ‘live her life’ (the cinéphile director’s nod to Godard’s Karina). After a string of sexual encounters, she breathes fresh air into the life of lonely estate agent Paulot, who appears to offer a tenderness previously missing from her life. However, this encounter also leads her to Quentin, an emotionally disturbed man, who scares, intrigues and ultimately seduces her. Finally, she is introduced to a mysterious director with his own troubled past, who casts Nina in a performance of Romeo and Juliet. As all these characters become intrinsically linked, their needs, hopes and desires crash and collide.

This fascinating film attests to Téchiné’s instinctive talent for depicting the subtle nuance of image and character in a haunting tale, which depicts the tragic paradoxes of human behaviour while hinting at the possibility of redemption through love and art. Téchiné scooped best director at Cannes, while the César for most promising actor was awarded to Stanczak for his touching performance as Paulot.

A provocative film of great depth and highly compelling performances, which is both captivating in itself and a veritable showcase of immense talent, which has remained part of the French cinematic landscape ever since.

Cert. 15