Rendez-vous comes with an insert featuring a short appreciative essay about the film by critic Brian McFarlane. It's not something I'd ordinarily mention in the main body of the review, except that McFarlane calls attention to a defining moment in the film: the opening sequence. From the perspective of a passenger within a train, we see the countryside passing by, and then the anonymous industrialized suburbs of the city as the train rolls toward the station. How you react to this fairly drawn-out opening sequence is a good predictor of how you'll respond to Rendez-vous as a whole.

If, like McFarlane, you are somehow intrigued and compelled by this sequence, which is presented without dialogue or any indication of who the character is, then chances are you're the kind of viewer who will appreciate the arty style of Rendez-vous. On the other hand, if you find the opening sequence completely flat and uncompelling, if you find that it pushes you away from being interested in the film rather than "hooking" you, I'd say you might as well choose another film to watch this evening, because Rendez-vous doesn't have anything to win you over later in the film.

As readers might have guessed by now, I fall into the latter category. There's a certain interest in seeing Juliette Binoche in one of her earliest films, but that's something that simply cannot and does not sustain the film. Rendez-vous is more about style than substance. If you are captivated by the way in which director André Téchiné presents the film's events, then you're all set, but for me, the style felt bland, and certainly wasn't enough to make up for the lack of an interesting narrative or cast of characters.

The story focuses on Binoche's character, an aspiring actress named Nina, who makes her way to Paris and finds herself in a strange romantic-sexual triangle with two men: the shy Paulot (Wadeck Stanczak) and the tempestuous Quentin (Lambert Wilson). One way of looking at Rendez-vous is that it's about Nina's attempt to deal with her own desires (both personal and professional) and her relationships with each of the two men who are interested in her. As a character study, there's some potential for interest here – at least if you appreciate the style of the film – but I found it to be flat and unengaging. The shift into greater weirdness as Nina takes on the role of Juliet in a theater production that has a tragedy in its past doesn't really help matters any; at this point, either you're interested or you're not, and I wasn't. I'm sure we're expected to feel the power of emotion in this film, but I think the viewer has to bring most of it to the experience; it's not generated by the film itself.

The DVD

Video

Rendez-vous is presented in a widescreen transfer, at its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio; it has been anamorphically enhanced. The image quality is reasonable; the print is clean and free of flaws, and the English subtitles are optional. It does have a fairly soft look overall, which is compounded by the presence of some edge enhancement and grain. Colors are muted, but I suspect that this is intentional.

Audio

The French Dolby 2.0 mono track does a satisfactory job of presenting this mainly dialogue-focused film. The dialogue is clean and clear, with no sound defects. Optional English subtitles are included, and appear in easily readable white lettering.

Extras

The only video special feature is a trailer for the film. An insert with a short appreciative essay by film critic Brian McFarlane is also included.

Final thoughts

Rendez-vous is suggested only for fans of the director, André Téchiné, really die-hard Juliette Binoche fans, or devoted enthusiasts of French cinema. Personally, I found the film to be flat and unengaging, and overlong even at a mere 83 minutes. I'll suggest it as a rental at best; for the most part, viewers will do better to pass over it. Rent it.