L'amour l'après-midi

L'amour l'après-midi (1972)
a film by Eric Rohmer

Is love decision? Is love renewing that decision? Can still be love after failing in renewing that decision? What are the limits for the love? These were the questions that kept popping in my mind as I saw Chloe in the afternoon, these were the questions I guessed right from the beginning, the questions I foresaw right before the story started to develop.

I tried not to do any research on this movie, and although I new about Rohmer and a distant respect grew on me after hearing about his work and his influence on other directors, this is the first film by him I watched. Without any preconceived ideas, I was surprised at first glimpse to see the nice aged looked on the images, the Parisians from the 70s crowding the streets and the cafés, the nice clothes, the cars, the taxis, all of these details make this story a time machine, a document of the city and the people at the time. If you like vintage and stylish this is a great flick.

Beyond the nice look of the images and the beautiful scenes such as that of Chloe naked on her bed that serves as a poster for the movie or the portrait the protagonist is making of his wife and daughter, there is an interesting story, touching beyond the feelings, reaching a moral fibre that I didn't expect could be reached. I don't like movies with a moral, and luckily this one isn't one, this one works in the other direction, it works deeper and left me thinking and full of questions.

What a great character is Chloe, this beautiful devil in a 70s look, but also how great are the secretaries. I loved the way in which the look so real, so beautiful but developing their own stories in parallel and waiting when the door was opened to put this story in context. I also liked the protagonist in his dilemma, he made this story so vivid but also very normal, as if this was a story told by a friend, full of great lines, full of great images. I keep thinking about it, I would love to hear a girl's opinion this movie, I would like to see how this movie settles in my memory, I think I'll keep this one in mind for a while.