Review of Summer Hours (2008) by Fiona F — 07 Nov 2008

My reaction went from respectful indifference to obsessive rumination, and finally resulting in an aggressive eagerness for a second viewing. This is an extremely understated film, rare in French cinema and dichotomous to Desplechin. Assayas has learned from the best of Ozu and Hou, cultivating emotional depth in narrative restraint, while still working with that fluid, unobtrusive, and energetic mise-en-scene, all bearing the stamp of his name. It is also true that the film has one of the most powerful endings ever; it blew up my mind in cinema and still blows up my mind whenever I reflect on the experience.

Having seen Assayas' other films since then, I now feel more resonance in my reflections and more appreciation for Assayas' comment that this is the summation of his work so far. In some ways I doubt one can fully embrace Summer Hours without being an Assayas fan (notably for L'Eau froide and Late August, Early September). This now joins L'Intrus and Three Times as one of the finest "best of" moments in a filmmaker's career.