Conte d'été

France

Synopsis

Gaspard claims that nothing ever happens in his life. Nothing good or nothing bad. In fact, his vacation is off to a bad start. He is in the seaside resort of Dinard and has moved into a room lent to him by a classmate, and expects Lena, who he says he is in love with, to arrive any day. To kill time, he spends his afternoons going on long walks with Margot, also a student, who waitresses part time in a pancake house. From the outset their relationship is strictly a friendly one, since both are already "taken" sentimentally. She has a knack for getting him to talk, since he is taciturn by nature. He tells her, among other things, that he writes songs in his spare time. One of them is almost finished, and he dedicates it to her...
But Margot takes him to a disco where he meets Solene, a voluptuous brunette, who sets out to grab him for herself.
He now gives the song to her and agrees to spend the rest of his vacation with her on the island of Ouessant. As she is still working, they decide to leave the following week. Margot, who more or less pushed him into Solene's arms, is nonetheless jealous of this turn of events, especially when she learns of the proposed trip that the first planned to go on with Lena, and then with her in the event Lena dropped out.
To complicate things Lena shows up. For the first few hours, Gaspard only has eyes for her. She'll get everything: the song, the trip, etc. But over the next few days his enthusiasm wanes, as he senses that she only thinks of him as a buddy and that she's not really committed to the trip.
Who will he leave with? Lena, the girl he first suggested it to, but who is now doing her best to get the trip postponed? Or Solene who definitely wants to go, but who scares him? Or Margot, who he likes more and more, but who keeps teasing him, saying that for someone who claims that girls can't stand him, he now has three of them on his hands? "Isn't that a bit much?".
All he has to do is cut this Gordian knot.
 | 

Cast & Crew

Directed by: Eric Rohmer

Written by: Eric Rohmer

Produced by: Margaret Menegoz

Cast: Melvil Poupaud (Gaspard), Amanda Langlet (Margot), Aurelia Nolin (Léna), Gwenaelle Simon (Solène)

Nominations and Awards

  • Feature Film Selection 1996