Love in the Afternoon [L’Amour l’après-midi] [Chloe in the Afternoon] (1972, Bernard Verley, Zouzou, Françoise Verley, Daniel Ceccaldi) – Classic Movie Review 8427

The deservedly much admired 1972 French New Wave classic film Love in the Afternoon [L’Amour l’après-midi] [Chloe in the Afternoon] stars Bernard Verley, Zouzou, and Françoise Verley, and is the last of the six of writer-director Eric Rohmer’s moral tales, following Claire’s Knee [Le Genou de Claire] (1970). It is memorable occasion and a fitting conclusion to a very fine sequence of films.

Bernard Verley stars as the young and successful married businessman Frédéric Carrelet, happily married to English teacher Hélène (Françoise Verley), and father to a child and expecting another. One day, Chloé (Zouzou), once the girlfriend of an old friend of Frédéric’s, appears in his office, hungry and homeless. They begin spending afternoons together, just talking about things. But Chloe eventually decides to seduce Frederic, causing him a moral dilemma.

The main cast are Bernard Verley as married businessman Frédéric Carrelet, Françoise Verley as Hélène Carrelet, Frédéric’s English teacher wife, Zouzou as Frédéric’s temptress Chloé, Daniel Ceccaldi as Frédéric’s business partner Gérard, Malvina Penne as Frédéric and Gérard’s secretary Fabienne, Babette Ferrier as Frédéric and Gérard’s other secretary Martine, Frédérique Hender as the Carrelets’ guest Mrs M, Claude-Jean Philippe as the Carrelets’ guest Mr M, Suze Randall as the English au pair and Claude Bertrand as the student.

Frédéric has a fantasy that he has a magical amulet causing all women to bow to his will. Françoise Fabian and Marie-Christine Barrault appear during Frédéric’s dream sequence from My Night at Maud’s). Haydée Politoff appears during the dream sequence from La Collectionneuse [The Collector]. Aurora Cornu and Béatrice Romand appear during the dream sequence from Claire’s Knee.

Love in the Afternoon [L’Amour l’après-midi] [Chloe in the Afternoon] is directed by Eric Rohmer, runs 97 minutes, is made by Les Films du Losange, is released by Columbia Pictures (US), is written by Eric Rohmer, is shot in Eastmancolor by Néstor Almendros, and is produced by Pierre Cottrell and Barbet Schroeder.

Love in the Afternoon [L’Amour l’après-midi] [Chloe in the Afternoon] is part of the Criterion Collection of Eric Rohmer’s Six Moral Tales.

An American remake starring Chris Rock, I Think I Love My Wife, was released in 2007.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8427

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