A Man and a Woman

Immediately identifiable by its familiar musical theme, Claude Lelouch's Oscar-winning love story seems a bit dated and schmaltzy now but was it ever tres chic upon its release in 1966. Cinematic icons Jean-Louis Trintignant and Anouk Aimee star as, respectively, a widowed racecar driver and a divorced movie script girl with kids who finally hook up after giving in to their initial attraction. Lelouch tricks up the storytelling with once-innovative techniques, including flashbacks, fantasy sequences, off-center framing, and jump cuts. But it's his seemingly illogical switching between black-and-white and color filming that really grates, because it doesn't appear to be motivated by time shifts, reveries, or any of the usual reasons. One of two supplemental documentaries included on the disc reveals that Lelouch wanted to shoot in black-and-white, but the commercial demands of a U.S. release dictated color. His response was to shoot just the exterior scenes in color (?!). Despite its flaws, this enduring sentimental favorite, presented here in a nice, sparkling DVD transfer, is still a strong optional purchase. (T. Rich)