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There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

I don't understand the excessive rating of 7.3/10, I probably missed out something major. I guess the very bad acting and the poor and dull, non "natural" dialogues (french is my mother tongue and I have never heard anyone speak like the characters) made a very bad impression on me since the first minutes.The plot is plain simple, trying to find a new husband for a friend is a fair move but there is no twist or anything. It just takes 1h50 of plenty of useless shots to get to the happy end.Bad, very bad experience for me, I don't really feel like watching other films from E Rohmer.

When we first meet Isabelle, she is discussing the upcoming wedding of her daughter. She wants to get the wine from her friend Magali, whom her daughter thinks doesn't care for her. Isabelle reassures her it's not so, then goes out to meet her friend. Magali, a wine maker and a widow, has a lot going for her, yet, she hasn't been able to attract a man to share her life after the death of her husband. As old friends from childhood, we can see that Isabelle and Magali look more like sisters. Magali, who has strong opinions, tells Isabelle she would never put a personal ad in the paper to meet a man.Magali has nothing to fear, the well intentioned Isabelle, decides to pass herself for Magali when she places an ad in their local newspaper. It doesn't take long before Gerald, a handsome middle aged man, answers the advertisement. Isabelle describes herself as though she were Magali. After all, if there is anyone that knows her friend, it's Isabelle! Gerald likes what he hears, although Isabelle's type has never done anything for him.In the meantime, Rosine, also a well intentioned admirer of Magali, who is her son's girlfriend, decides she would like to introduce her to Etienne, a local teacher. Things get a bit complicated when Etienne, who has a reputation for falling for his female students, and Rosine, see Gerald and Isabelle, as they are talking. Rosine, who thinks something is going on, asks Etienne to wait, so Isabelle doesn't see them.Isabelle, who during her third meeting with Gerald, decides to tell him the truth, gets a weight lifted from her conscience. Gerald, who sees a picture of Magali, senses a kind soul and doesn't take it against Isabelle for meddling and deceiving him. She invites Gerald to attend the wedding, where Magali is also invited. Everything comes together at the wedding of Isabelle's daughter. The truth finally emerges as Magali realizes Isabelle's intentions to bring her and Gerald together. As with old friendships, Magali and Isabelle's will not be broken.Eric Rohmer, who also wrote the screen play, finishes his cycle of films with a season as a theme. He created a work of great sensitivity as a friendship is put to a test. Sometimes even a well intentioned person's meddling in another's affair can suffer if taken the wrong way. There is no such danger here. Isabelle and Magali have so much in common that all will be forgotten. Isabelle, who is a happily married woman, wants her friend to find someone and be as happy as she is. The film is typical of the director. He presents the story straight, without any embellishments. The result is a lovely story about friendship.Marie Riviere and Beatrice Romand, who appear as Isabelle and Magali, respectively, do excellent work for the director. Both actresses give a great account of their characters. Alain Libolt, who plays Gerald, makes an impression as the sophisticated Gerald, a man who longs for a love that has been denied to him. The others in the cast are also effective in the film.Diane Baratier's cinematography captures that area of France lovingly. Mr. Rohmer, as usual doesn't believe in too much music. In here it comes at the end, at the wedding celebration. Eric Rohmer directed this sweet tale with great style.

(Note: Over 500 of my movie reviews are now available in my book "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote!" Get it at Amazon.)And he knows how to write dialogue that is revealing, engaging and realistic, no small feat; and it is perhaps this talent more than anything else that has made Eric Rohmer the great director that he is. Here uses France's Cotes du Rhone wine country as a backdrop and symbol to help him explore not only autumn love, but the enduring friendship of two very different women. Isabelle (Maire Revière) is an elegant, tall, fair haired, blue-eyed haute bourgeoisie and her friend Magali (Beatrice Romand) is a short, earthy, dark-haired petite winemaker originally from Tunisia. Isabelle is happily married; Magali is divorced. They are both forty-something.Isabelle's daughter is to be married. But the focus of the film is not on the bride and groom, but on the older generation, on Isabelle and Magali. In this way Rohmer combines the warm and enchantment of the celebration of autumn life, when the grapes are ripe for harvest, when love has its last chance, when Dionysus has his festival, when the heat of summer is over and we are ready to reflect and realize what is really important before it's too late.Isabelle feels this strongly and wants her friend to find happiness before another winter comes. But Magali, because of the vineyard, doesn't have much of an opportunity to meet men, although she allows that she would like to. She is at that delicate age when one can try again or shrug it off. Isabelle intervenes by going to a dating service and placing an ad. She meets Gerald (Alain Libolt) and they have lunch (she insists on lunch) two or three times and she evaluates him. He is modest, somewhat suave and amazingly diplomatic. They share a certain attraction.Meanwhile, Rosine (Alexia Portal) who is dating Magali's son and who is very close to Magali, perhaps more so that she is to her son, also wants to find a mate for Magali. She proposes her philosophy professor, Etienne (Didier Sandre), who is in fact sweet on her. He is the kind of man who, as Magali observes, likes them younger as he grows older. But maybe she will be the exception. Maybe he will finally grow up. Both arrange for their choices to meet Magali at the wedding.As usual Rohmer explores humanity and how we relate to one another, and finds both love and a kind of sweetness that is liable to bring us to tears.The resolution of the film is followed by a most endearing anticlimax in which there is a dance of joy.

Autumn Tale is an interesting, beautiful film. It is far more subtle than an American romance about middle-age love would be. Rohmer's basic premise is that men and women in their 40's or 50's can be interesting, beautfiul, and attractive to other men and women. (Of course, this is obvious, but in Autumn Tale this premise is taken for granted. In a U.S. film the director would have to explain a similar premise.)If I have a criticism of Autumn Tale, it is that all the women--leads, supporting actors, walk-ons, are gloriously beautiful. Surely there are some women (and men) in France who are less than physically perfect. Rohmer has left them out of his film. However, it is hard to complain about the tradeoff of beauty for realism. The actors look great, the countryside of Provence looks great, even the grapes look great!