Rendezvous in Paris

How do you say "yawn" in French? In Rendezvous in Paris, Eric Rohmer, prince of New Wave cinema, tells three bland tales of three bland couples who frolic in the City of Lights. The couples (who never meet), cheat and chastise one another, as well as neurose and neglect each other's feelings. These young Parisians emote energetically, but, in typical French tradition, nothing ever comes of their melodramatic displays of affection or their romantic entanglements. In their quests for love, each character is ultimately (surprise!) disillusioned. Much of the dialogue here is drawn out and trivial, the characters are uninteresting, and the mini-plots too trifling to warrant sympathy. Its lovely scenes of Paris aside, Rendezvous is a sleepy, mediocre feature. Not recommended. (A. Glover)