Private Fears in Public Places

I have had a keen appreciation for a number of Alain Resnais’ films over the years (Hiroshima Mon Amour, La Guerre Est Finie, Mon Oncle d’Amerique, Same Old Song), but what strikes me most about his latest is how far the 85-year-old director has come from his most famous and my least favorite: Last Year in Marienbad. That chilly exercise in enigmatic style has yielded over the years to a warmth of understanding bestowed on characters who are themselves trying to thaw the ice of their personalities. Private Fears in Public Places is based on the Alan Ayckbourn play of that name, transposed from London to Paris (and called Couers in France.) It is a series of blackout sketches (or more accurately whiteouts, for the scrim of falling snow that dissolves one scene into the next) involving a half-dozen interlocking characters in stylish Parisian sets. The common theme is the attempt for men and women to break through to connection, sexual or otherwise. And the tone is both amusing and sad, ironic and worldly-wise. These characters wear their hearts on their sleeves at the same time they are careful to keep them covered -- except for the pious striptease lady who heats things up (long story, too complicated to retell here.) If you would enjoy a bittersweet romantic comedy for adults, this is worth seeking out. (2006, dvd, n.) *7* (MC-77.)