Rent My Night at Maud's (1969)
3.9 of 5 from 93 ratings
1h 45min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- The film that propelled Rohmer to international acclaim remains one of the finest achievements of his career. The fourth in the 'Moral Tales' series, it tells the story of a chaste and conservative thirty-something (Jean-Louis Trintignant) who sees a woman that he believes will be his perfect match whilst attending church. But when he unwittingly spends the night at the apartment of the worldly and spirited divorcee Maud (Francoise Fabian), he finds the moral certainties of his life are suddenly thrown into question.
- Actors:
- Jean-Louis Trintignant, Françoise Fabian, Marie-Christine Barrault, Antoine Vitez, Léonide Kogan, Guy Léger, Anne Dubot, Marie Becker, Marie-Claude Rauzier
- Directors:
- Eric Rohmer
- Producers:
- Pierre Cottrell, Barbet Schroeder
- Writers:
- Eric Rohmer
- Aka:
- Ma nuit chez Maud
- Studio:
- Artificial Eye Film Company Ltd.
- Genres:
- Classics, Comedy, Drama, Romance
- Collections:
- The Instant Expert's Guide, The Instant Expert's Guide to: Éric Rohmer
- Countries:
- France
More like My Night at Maud's
Reviews (2) of My Night at Maud's
Talking Myself Into a Corner - My Night at Maud's review by griggs
It’s people chatting in rooms, yet it stays gripping — like listening to someone talk themselves into a corner. Rohmer turns flirting into a moral stress test, and I was hooked on the pauses, half-smiles, and careful edits of the truth. The wintry vibe helps too: cosy, slightly prickly. By the end, My Night at Maud’s feels underbaked and a bit on the nose, but it has real charm and gentle mischief on the way there.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
Big Talk - My Night at Maud's review by Steve
Some pre-knowledge of the works of French polymath Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) would be useful! And that notion at least sends a warning about the kind of concentration that will be necessary. This is the third in Éric Rohmer's series of Six Moral Tales and as usual, he expects his audience to be well read....
OK, my exposure to Pascal goes no further than his triangle, but close attention is rewarded. This is about the philosophy of chance and how it is playfully utilised by Rohmer's intellectual characters to explain their potential to find a partner for marriage. And to discuss at length the validity of these theories...
Like all of Rohmer's films, this is dense with dialogue but without much plot. Jean-Louis Trintignant plays an engineer who does complex arithmetic for relaxation. His pal is a professor of philosophy (Antoine Vitez), and together they visit Maud, a medical doctor (Françoise Fabian). They talk while interesting connections emerge.
These long, cerebral conversations are demanding, but personal and captivating. Surely this influenced Richard Linklater's Before trilogy, except this is intellectual rather than romantic. I'd expect its appeal would only extend to a small cult, but it was nominated for two Oscars, so who knows?
0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.