MovieChat Forums > Pauline à la plage (1983) Discussion > Annoying French Soap

Annoying French Soap

posted 14 years ago by uvl
5 replies | jump to latest

Who gives a rat's posterior about any of these annoying characters. It barely has a story-line better than a typical soap opera.

[–] ManFromSanFernando 13 years ago

The way it was filmed, the dialogue-a soap has melodramatic acting-did you see any of this?
A soap would never have one of the main characters,Pauline, have so few lines of dialogue and allow the actress to act more with subtle realistic body language. A soap would never portray teens in this manner. A soap would have lotsof musical cues, it would have been filmed on a set, and the interiors of the homes would reflect the drama. The places in this film are far more subtle- it is more like the real world.
I agree it has the plot or storyline of a soap, yet this says more about women than the average soap, or at least portrays it in a ore interesting way.

[–] rachaelov 12 years ago

Who gives a rat's posterior about this annoying OP post. It barely has the substance better than that of a typical Hollywood film lover.

[–] fredgarv79 12 years ago

I don't know, this movie seemed kinda pretentious to me. I mean all this philosophy of love. the long long dialog scenes where they discuss all these aspects. maybe that was the point, was on the one had they are discussing all these aspects of love and sex but when it comes right down to it, they all just act like lusty superficial conniving people
it cracked me up when everybody kept on telling pauline that "you can do better than that" when it came to the young boy she was interested in. you can do better than that? she is only 15 and wasn't looking for a life long partner to marry yet. but I guess it was because they were looking out after her. the bald french dude was a good part, the typical frenchman who just wants every girl he can get.

but after having a few drinks, I couldn't help but do my best mystery science theater 3000 impression inventing my own ridiculous dialog with a heavy maurice chevalier accent with this movie as I watched it. I just could not take it very seriously

[–] Charlot47 10 years ago

You don’t have to take the film seriously and could just enjoy it as a summer holiday sex comedy.

Yet underneath the shots of lovely scenery and beautiful bodies one can detect the deadly serious business, for the French anyway, of finding love. Not sex and not cohabitation but the deep communion of souls. Even if you never meet that other soul, or you do but getting together is impossible, the dream persists.

There are also some quite stern lessons in behaviour. Blonde Marion, and even more Louisette, are not far from sluttish in their sex lives, while Pauline has higher standards. The men mirror this pattern, with both Henri (as you say) and young Sylvain out for what they can get, while windsurfer Pierre is more fastidious.

[–] henrimaine 9 years ago

Sure, the plot was a lot like some stupid soap-opera. But the movie was still quite enjoyable. I mean, a summer in France in the eighties - how can you not like that?