User Reviews

Jacques Becker left us only thirteen films - fortunately his son Jean has already exceeded that figure and has inherited his father's talent - covering a fairly wide spectrum and this, though not perhaps so well known as say Casque d'Or, Goupi mains rouge, or Touchez-pas au grisbi, is nevertheless bursting with charm and quaintness and is a classic example of how to fashion a light-as-air soufflé' out of thin air. Shot on only two sets, contrasting homes, the tiny apartment of an impoverished couple (the eponymous Edouard and Caroline), and the sumptuous château of her up-market relative, Becker extracts the maximum satirical fun from the snobbism that is rampant amongst the bourgeosie. The couple quarrel and make up, the relatives patronise Edouard and get theirs. A wonderful example of the quality that Truffaut and his petulant schoolboys couldn't get near in a thousand years. Let's hear it for the old wave.

Learning in 2017 that Studiocanal were upgrading their DVD releases of this film makers works to Le Blu-Ray,I hoped to see them bring out a lot of "new" titles from the director,but instead only found one title being added to the re-releases. Recently revisiting a number of his credits, I got set to finally meet Edward and Caroline.

View on the film:

Continuing to explore the fizzy youthful optimism of the post-war period which he had started to examine with Antoine and Antoinette (1947-also reviewed), directing auteur Jacques Becker & cinematographer Robert Lefebvre go behind the closed doors of the young couple, with Becker's distinctive elegant panning shots opening up the cramped room the couple live in, sharply contrasted in the lavish bourgeoisie household where musician Edouard tries to hit the right note, in order to gain a wealthy backer.

In a long term collaboration with the Renoir household, (even appearing in some of Jean's credits) Becker closely works with editor Marguerite Renoir in dancing Edward and Caroline into a sparkling, fast-pace Screwball Comedy atmosphere.

Becker closes in on the sudden violent outbursts of the couple with silky close-ups,and making the lone two locations the movies takes place in (!) look expansive, thanks to Becker's delicate framing which highlights the gap between the artistic couple,and the snooty bourgeoisie being in a world of their own, emphasised by Renoir cutting between the passionate playing of Edouard, with the air of disinterest among the rich, who are too busy mocking the lone American at the dinner party,who is also the lone guest keen on giving Edouard a chance.

Bringing a friction into the marriage that had remained on the exterior as a lottery ticket for Antoinette and Antoine, the screenplay by Annette Wademant and Becker touch on the proto- French New Wave touch Becker had given Rendezvous in July (1949-also reviewed), in the bickering between Caroline and Edouard being given a tart believability,in the stop/start manner the couple argue.

Attending a party with the couple, the writers play a delightfully funny comedy of manners, with the gap developing between Caroline and Edouard being agitated thanks to Caroline's wealthy family looking down at all those who don't fit smoothly into their group.

Reuniting with Becker after Rendezvous, Daniel Gelin gives a immaculate performance as Edouard, who Gelin balances a understated playfulness when round Caroline, with a coiled frustration over being rejected as a artist. Coming from a richer background than her husband,Anne Vernon gives a splendid turn as Caroline, throwing all aside comments with a off the cuff slickness, which Vernon bounces into radiant confidence bringing together with Screwball one-liners the marriage of Edward and Caroline.