The Lacemaker

Isabelle Huppert (Entre Nous, Story of Women) came to international prominence in this wrenching tale of love which founders upon social inequality. As 18-year-old Pomme, Huppert is a shy beautician who goes to the Normandy coast with her outgoing fellow employee Marilyn (Florence Giorgetti) for a vacation. Fairly quickly, the extrovert Marilyn lands a beau, leaving Pomme alone. When Pomme meets Francois (Yves Beneyton), a quiet student of literature, she gradually falls in love. She gives both her virginity and her entire heart to Francois, and the pair move in together back in Paris. Francois continually chides Pomme to make something better of herself, and Pomme faithfully accompanies Francois to his friends' houses where the evening discourse is about, for example, "dialectical materialism," which Pomme doesn't understand. Eventually the social and intellectual gap between the two lovers becomes so great that Francois abandons Pomme, and she dovetails into madness. The effectiveness of the film hinges on Huppert's performance, and she goes over the top to deliver a compelling and ultimately heartrending portrait. Highly recommended. (R. Pitman)