Four adventures with Reinette and Mirabelle is an oddity. It is nevertheless a peculiar and beautiful film which seems to say nothing, and yet in an exquisitely quiet way suggests truths about how we live and how perhaps we should make adjustments to how we live. On the surface it is the charming, gently awkward friendship between two young women, probably in their late teens, may be 17 - 19 years old. There are perhaps hints of an intimate relationship between them, but this film doesn't actually concern itself with that, which another perhaps lesser film might have concentrated on. The film really cares about their friendship to the exclusion of almost everything else. Reinette does have a boyfriend but he is only mentioned in a brief aside early on, and he is never heard of again.
They meet in the countryside where Reinette has a puncture whilst on her bike, and seeks help from Mirabelle a passer-by. Reinette first asks where the nearest garage is, only to be told it is five miles away. Mirabelle's house is very close by however, and she soon help repairs the wheel for Mirabelle. They strike up a friendship almost immediately, and she stays overnight, to Mirabelle's obvious delight. Mirabelle's house is a partially run-down old farmhouse. Think one of those beloved by an upper middle-class British family/me, wanting somewhere idyllic to do up in pastoral, rural France. It is unexplained why Mirabelle lives on her won in such a rundown property, but such details are not important in this film.
Mirabelle turns out to be someone trying to be an artist. Her work is surreal with near abstract figures of naked women portrayed in minimalist backgrounds. She is seemingly naïve, blithe, with a childlike gregariousness. She is very talkative, in a moment beautifully played against herself by Reinette, later on in the film.
Reinette is quieter, more sardonic, perhaps like us intrigued by Mirabelle, but perhaps she is quietly baffled as well. They don't really quarrel in the film but when an argument arises, Reinette gently but very firmly puts the opposing view across.
Mirabelle also shows her life in a nearby rural farm where she is friends with the farmers there. Reinette is introduced to a variety of goats, and chickens, as well as a shy horse. They also see some of the crops being grown by the farmers. It is the way this is done which is so marvelous; just quietly understated points being made about the nature of the rural life. It fits in with an important theme of silence in the early part of film, and perhaps even more importantly having time for contemplation that the natural world gives you. This is a not a film which imposes anything so 'crass' as a logical narrative or an unseemly pace on you. This not a film of massive incidents, but those that might occur as interesting or revealing in an ordinary run of the mill day. The countryside scenes are just the prelude however to where most of the film takes place.
Reinette is studying in Paris, doing a degree in ethnology. She describes it as the study of people to Mirabelle, and then she offers to share a flat with Mirabelle which she pays rent on in Paris. This makes it feasible for Mirabelle to study art in Paris. This arrangement suits both of them and the film then progresses to Paris; a few months on from their first encounter.
It is in Paris where the characters of both are explored in greater detail. There are everyday situations which develop unexpected edges and show an unexpected robustness to their characters. There is a dispute with a French waiter over a note that he can't or refuses to change for a bill to be paid. A simple request for directions becomes an argument for two bystanders both men trying to describe the right way to get somewhere. There is an exchange where Mirabelle lends someone money in a train station, who may or may not be a con artist. Those are the relatively minor incidents that make up a significant proportion of the film.
Yet the film has a couple of other incidents which are more significant in perhaps they get to the heart of what this film is really about and that is the subtle effects of capitalism, and morality.
Reinette (to the disdain of Mirabelle) in the retelling of an incident, has helped an unknown shoplifter escape from two store detectives. There is quietly thrilling exchange about the morality of Reinette's action which doesn't lead as you might expect to a furious dispute, but a firm and resolutely calm argument. It is a marvelous scene and it shows the strength of their friendship, but in a none showy, subtle way.
The films key scene is the final one, were the girls try to sell a piece of Mirabelle's art to and art dealer. They hope to dupe him into paying more than they thinks it's worth, and to their obvious delight it works, but here the film plays a twist on the girls, and we see that art dealer is selling the art on for a much higher price than he bought the art from the girls. It's a superbly done scene, both humorous but sharp as well. This final scene suggests what the film has been about but done so skilfully and gently, the effect only gradually makes you realise that the true enemy of the piece is capitalism, and what it does to people on an everyday level. This makes the film seem like a communist manifesto piece, but that would be a slight misreading because the points it makes are far more considered and subtle. They probably will give you pause for thought, long after the film has finished.
This film will not be for everyone, and the pace of this film and seemingly innocuous events will be irritatingly tedious to some. This is one of those films that you do have to concentrate on and be patient with, as every point and scene will add up to a full and rounded hole. It is a useful critique of capitalism, and how we have to live within the everyday demands it makes upon us, whether we want that or not. It harks back subtly to the countryside and a simpler and seemingly more communal world. This film success really does depend on your interest in the main characters, and because they are so delightfully played, their unexpected steeliness helps defy your expectations.
Your enjoyment of your film probably depends on how much work you the viewer enjoys doing, and there is a danger with some realistic films you can find yourself detached and distanced from the film. This film however for me gets the balance right. It explores the everyday world, but also with characters that absorb the influence of that world, and I think simply wins you over with its charm.
They meet in the countryside where Reinette has a puncture whilst on her bike, and seeks help from Mirabelle a passer-by. Reinette first asks where the nearest garage is, only to be told it is five miles away. Mirabelle's house is very close by however, and she soon help repairs the wheel for Mirabelle. They strike up a friendship almost immediately, and she stays overnight, to Mirabelle's obvious delight. Mirabelle's house is a partially run-down old farmhouse. Think one of those beloved by an upper middle-class British family/me, wanting somewhere idyllic to do up in pastoral, rural France. It is unexplained why Mirabelle lives on her won in such a rundown property, but such details are not important in this film.
Mirabelle turns out to be someone trying to be an artist. Her work is surreal with near abstract figures of naked women portrayed in minimalist backgrounds. She is seemingly naïve, blithe, with a childlike gregariousness. She is very talkative, in a moment beautifully played against herself by Reinette, later on in the film.
Reinette is quieter, more sardonic, perhaps like us intrigued by Mirabelle, but perhaps she is quietly baffled as well. They don't really quarrel in the film but when an argument arises, Reinette gently but very firmly puts the opposing view across.
Mirabelle also shows her life in a nearby rural farm where she is friends with the farmers there. Reinette is introduced to a variety of goats, and chickens, as well as a shy horse. They also see some of the crops being grown by the farmers. It is the way this is done which is so marvelous; just quietly understated points being made about the nature of the rural life. It fits in with an important theme of silence in the early part of film, and perhaps even more importantly having time for contemplation that the natural world gives you. This is a not a film which imposes anything so 'crass' as a logical narrative or an unseemly pace on you. This not a film of massive incidents, but those that might occur as interesting or revealing in an ordinary run of the mill day. The countryside scenes are just the prelude however to where most of the film takes place.
Reinette is studying in Paris, doing a degree in ethnology. She describes it as the study of people to Mirabelle, and then she offers to share a flat with Mirabelle which she pays rent on in Paris. This makes it feasible for Mirabelle to study art in Paris. This arrangement suits both of them and the film then progresses to Paris; a few months on from their first encounter.
It is in Paris where the characters of both are explored in greater detail. There are everyday situations which develop unexpected edges and show an unexpected robustness to their characters. There is a dispute with a French waiter over a note that he can't or refuses to change for a bill to be paid. A simple request for directions becomes an argument for two bystanders both men trying to describe the right way to get somewhere. There is an exchange where Mirabelle lends someone money in a train station, who may or may not be a con artist. Those are the relatively minor incidents that make up a significant proportion of the film.
Yet the film has a couple of other incidents which are more significant in perhaps they get to the heart of what this film is really about and that is the subtle effects of capitalism, and morality.
Reinette (to the disdain of Mirabelle) in the retelling of an incident, has helped an unknown shoplifter escape from two store detectives. There is quietly thrilling exchange about the morality of Reinette's action which doesn't lead as you might expect to a furious dispute, but a firm and resolutely calm argument. It is a marvelous scene and it shows the strength of their friendship, but in a none showy, subtle way.
The films key scene is the final one, were the girls try to sell a piece of Mirabelle's art to and art dealer. They hope to dupe him into paying more than they thinks it's worth, and to their obvious delight it works, but here the film plays a twist on the girls, and we see that art dealer is selling the art on for a much higher price than he bought the art from the girls. It's a superbly done scene, both humorous but sharp as well. This final scene suggests what the film has been about but done so skilfully and gently, the effect only gradually makes you realise that the true enemy of the piece is capitalism, and what it does to people on an everyday level. This makes the film seem like a communist manifesto piece, but that would be a slight misreading because the points it makes are far more considered and subtle. They probably will give you pause for thought, long after the film has finished.
This film will not be for everyone, and the pace of this film and seemingly innocuous events will be irritatingly tedious to some. This is one of those films that you do have to concentrate on and be patient with, as every point and scene will add up to a full and rounded hole. It is a useful critique of capitalism, and how we have to live within the everyday demands it makes upon us, whether we want that or not. It harks back subtly to the countryside and a simpler and seemingly more communal world. This film success really does depend on your interest in the main characters, and because they are so delightfully played, their unexpected steeliness helps defy your expectations.
Your enjoyment of your film probably depends on how much work you the viewer enjoys doing, and there is a danger with some realistic films you can find yourself detached and distanced from the film. This film however for me gets the balance right. It explores the everyday world, but also with characters that absorb the influence of that world, and I think simply wins you over with its charm.