A Summer's Tale

Last year, Charli XCX passed the baton from her self-titled “brat summer” to trendy directors with projects releasing that year including Ari Aster, Celine Song, and Joachim Trier. There were plenty of successes, and although the “X Summer” titles featured current directors, the title of summer should be given to, and always be held by Eric Rohmer. Nobody is able to capture the season, and the feelings of those warm months quite like Rohmer. * A Summer’s Tale* plays like a series of home videos from the best vacation of your life, as you show your children and grandchildren glimpses of your youth. It’s stitched together like vintage postcards, each capturing a very specific moment in time, emotions and memories forever intertwined with a certain location. It’s free, it’s calming, it’s serene, it’s the definition of summer, and it’s more evidence that Eric Rohmer owns the entire season. The film is at its strongest when Margot is in the picture. Maybe it’s because she’s the first of the three girls we are physically introduced to, but she’s also the most interesting. Solene doesn’t have much depth, and I feel like Lena shows up too late for me to have any sort of investment into her. The relationship between Margot and Gaspard is by far the strongest one, and the shift between friends to maybe something more is quite entertaining to watch. Underrated aspect of this film is the subtle, yet brilliant costumes. I think Gaspard, despite the film taking place in summer, is in a short sleeve shirt maybe 3 or 4 times. Hes constantly dressed in long sleeve shirts and only wears black, gray, and white. It’s muddied clothing for a muddied young man who for the most part really has no idea what the heck he wants. The girls all wear color, with some donning black in specific scenes with Gaspard as if they were both attending funerals for their relationship. A Summer’s Tale is equal parts Before Sunrise, When Harry Met Sally, One Sings The Other Doesn’t, and The Worst Person In the World. If any of those films endeared you, then you will certainly love A Summer’s Tale. It’s quintessential French New Wave and a reminder that very few can craft images as warm, relaxing, and just plain cool as Rohmer can.