Rendez-vous (1985)
Directed by André Téchiné

Film Review

Rendez-vous is a dark yet powerful examination of love and sexual desire from the point of view of three emotionally scarred young people.  It is stunningly photographed and boasts some fine acting, with a tense plot that has the feel of a psychological thriller.

Taking centre stage is the superlative Juliette Binoche, in her first major screen role.  She plays the aspiring actress Nina, a young woman tormented by sexual guilt and emotional insecurity.  In a credible and moving performance, Binoche shows her formidable acting talent and also shows how well-suited she is to Téchiné's cinema.  There are also fine supporting performances from her co-stars Lambert Wilson  and Wadeck Stanczack, not forgetting a touching cameo presence from Jean-Louis Trintingant.

Director André Téchiné is renowned for his atmospheric, emotionally charged films.  Often, his style comes across as being too heavy, stifling characterisation and overwhelming the plot.  However, in some of his films - and this is a prime example - his style works perfectly to complement the subject of his film.

Film Synopsis

Nina is a young woman from the provinces who has just arrived in Paris with the hope of making a career as an actress.  Her first priority is to find a place to live, and this is how she comes to meet Paulot, a trainee estate agent.  Until Nina can find a studio apartment she can afford to rent, Paulot allows her to stay in the apartment he shares with his flatmate, Quentin.  Like Paulot, Quentin is fascinated by the attractive young woman.  He once harboured hopes of becoming an actor, but gave up when he found it was nothing but an impossible dream.  Of the two men, it is Quentin who most attracts Nina's attention, but as he plays on her feelings he begins to exert a bad influence on her.  The change in Nina is noticed by Paulot, who immediately loses interest in her.  Things take a dramatic turn when Quentin dies suddenly in a horrific road accident.  It is then that another man enters Nina's life - a 40-something theatre director named Scrutzler who was once on intimate terms with Quentin.  Haunted by Quentin's ghost, Nina allows Scrutzler to take her in hand and help her to develop her potential to become a great actress...