Romantic triangle in the rarefied world of classical music. The music itself is not just for decoration. It undoubtedly corresponds to the theme of the Expression and/or Containment of Emotion. Even more, the three Ravel chamber pieces on the program go well with the configuration of a triangle: the (female) violinist plays once with the (male) cellist, once with the (male) pianist, and once with both of them at the same time. (Don't misunderstand: the triangle is not literally composed of the three musicians; it isn't as schematic as all that; but close enough: the female violinist and the two male partners in an exclusive violin shop.) The crux of the movie, though, is the webwork of emotions: the musician, icy on the outside but boiling within, presently setting up house with her charming and outgoing and still-married lover (we never meet the wife), but attracted to his long-time business partner, not without calculated enticement, by what would seem to be a constellation of negatives: his asceticism, his inwardness, his coldness, his sardonicness. What develops is a contemplation of the Prison of Personality, with the prisoner having self-protectively walled himself off, enveloped himself in a "role," almost a shtick, and now finding that he cannot change just because a reason to change presents itself to him (or quite literally throws itself at him). The situation is worked out with intelligence, even wisdom, complexity, surprise. Perhaps not, however, a lot of verve. Rather like a note-perfect but going-through-the-motions violin recital. Daniel Auteuil, Emmanuelle Béart, André Dussollier; directed by Claude Sautet. (1993) — Duncan Shepherd
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