This is an entertaining Rohmer movie, with some good ideas and interesting dialogue. However I couldn't believe how bad the actress in the lead role was. It even beats Arielle Dombasle's laughable performance in "Pauline à la plage". In "L'ami de mon amie", it's as if Emmanuelle Chaulet herself is clueless about the character, throughout the movie. Her name in the movie is Blanche, as in "oie blanche" in French, which means a girl or young woman with a prudish upbringing who is candid and a bit foolish.
Unfortunately, in all her scenes Emmanuelle Chaulet is fidgetting, wincing, twiddling her hair or shaking her head any moment, and for no reason. She has no sense of timing or delivery, her body language is either inappropriate, or over the top. In one scene at the café, she can't even utter one, simple line such as "les affaires cult...culturelles" (her job department), without stuttering. Then she giggles like a schoolgirl, when she's supposed to be a serious, grown civil servant. She can't even kiss a (good-looking) partner: her intimate scene in the woods with Éric Viellard is cringe worthy. Utter amateurism. I don't know what went through Rohmer's head, maybe he was having a laugh, maybe he didn't have a choice. Anyway it's no wonder why her career as an actress failed to take off after that. She didn't even have the appeal of prior Rohmer heroines such as those played by Haydée Politoff, Françoise Fabian or Amanda Langlet, for instance. By contrast with her, Sophie Renoir (Léa), Eric Viellard (Fabien) and F-E Gendron (Alexandre) raise the level by giving a much more watchable and relaxed performance.
I like Rohmer's playing with color symmetry and permutation in the actors' outfits, like the blue top/white skirt matching Léa's white top/blue skirt at the evening party, to emphasise the contrasting traits and moods of the characters. The conclusion, a sensible outcome, is satisfying both for the characters and the viewer.
Unfortunately, in all her scenes Emmanuelle Chaulet is fidgetting, wincing, twiddling her hair or shaking her head any moment, and for no reason. She has no sense of timing or delivery, her body language is either inappropriate, or over the top. In one scene at the café, she can't even utter one, simple line such as "les affaires cult...culturelles" (her job department), without stuttering. Then she giggles like a schoolgirl, when she's supposed to be a serious, grown civil servant. She can't even kiss a (good-looking) partner: her intimate scene in the woods with Éric Viellard is cringe worthy. Utter amateurism. I don't know what went through Rohmer's head, maybe he was having a laugh, maybe he didn't have a choice. Anyway it's no wonder why her career as an actress failed to take off after that. She didn't even have the appeal of prior Rohmer heroines such as those played by Haydée Politoff, Françoise Fabian or Amanda Langlet, for instance. By contrast with her, Sophie Renoir (Léa), Eric Viellard (Fabien) and F-E Gendron (Alexandre) raise the level by giving a much more watchable and relaxed performance.
I like Rohmer's playing with color symmetry and permutation in the actors' outfits, like the blue top/white skirt matching Léa's white top/blue skirt at the evening party, to emphasise the contrasting traits and moods of the characters. The conclusion, a sensible outcome, is satisfying both for the characters and the viewer.