Les miracles n'ont lieu qu'une fois

The follow-up to "Manèges" ,"Les Miracles N'Ont Lieu Qu'Une Fois " depicts true love whereas the former was all cupidity,nastiness and cheat.

The screenplays bears more than a distant resemblance to "Paradis Perdu" (1939) by Abel Gance ,at least in its first third.Alida Valli and Jean Marais,both very good-looking ,portray two students who want to become surgeons;they fall in love and spend some time in paradise in Italy.Alas,WW2 breaks out.When the soldier comes home,will he meet his love again?And will their love survive eleven long years (and however WW2 ended in 1945;as the hero's marriage was short-lived ,it's strange he waits so much time to search his lost love)? Neither Allégret's directing nor Sigurd's screenplay are particularly memorable;compared to "Manèges" and its story told from two different point of views ,"Miracles" uses a monotonous voice over (Jean Marais,not at his best)till you are fed up with it.

Worth a look for the two marvelous actors,but that's it.

Allégret's and Marais's collaboration would continue in the follow-up "Nez-de -Cuir" which was more satisfying but it was 1953( "les Orgueilleux") before Allégret gave a major work again (it was his last important movie ).