Mademoiselle Chambon - 1 1/2 smiles

Director Stéphane Brizé’s film, “Mademoiselle Chambon,” has been praised for its wordless exchanges and strong emotions but although the cinematography is beautiful, none of that emotion comes through. In fact, there are so many pauses and long sequences without dialogue that you being to wonder what all the fuss is about. Also, Jean (Vincent Lindon), a devoted husband and father, is hardly a sympathetic character when he falls in love with his son’s teacher. His wife, Anne-Marie (Aurore Atika) is more beautiful and dynamic although Brizé spends too much time with Mademoiselle Chambon, who seems overly frail and lacks any personality. Obviously, Brizé is trying to capture the subtle development of love between two adults, but that hardly makes for satisfying cinema. Subtitles. 7/27/10