Film Reviews by JG

Truffault wanted to make a reverse image of 'Jules & Jim' with one man involved with two women. He managed that but the characters are false, pretentious, cardboard cut-outs reciting speeches not real people, rather as Rohmer does frequently. The whole piece has no reality, nothing is believable. The acting is mannered and theatrical. Leaud is not good, he never is except in '400 Blows'.

I rented this to see how John Cleese did with Petruchio. He was good and I don't mind the studio-feel to the production; that's what you expect from these BBC productions of the 70s-80s (although they could have done more with the studio floor). The problem is that, especially in the opening scenes before the main characters arrive, the lines are gabbled at such a pace they are difficult to follow. So difficult we gave up and fast forwarded. On the whole I didn't like Miller's direction at all.