Luminously inscrutable Jeanne Moreau gives one of her best performances in Louis Malle's "The Lovers" (1958:***1/2), a chic and entertaining romantic drama that was quite controversial in its day because of a prolonged love scene in the last half hour. Of course, today it seems very innocent, indeed. She plays the bored wife of a wealthy newspaper owner who impulsively decides to runs off with a young man who picks her up after her car stalls on the highway. Since the lover is played by a handsome young actor named Jean-Marc Bory (wonder whatever happened to him), who could blame her? Malle offers delicate hints during the morning after that the affair may not last too long. All-in-all, an exquisite film. The video version is letterboxed, too, which is a big plus.
Review of The Lovers
