Until September

This movie isn't terrible, really. Somebody commented that Mo is the type of American Europeans snicker at. But there are those, and not necessarily Anglo-Saxon yahoos, who do not care for Frenchmen; and the Xavier character isn't going to sway them.

Let's consider his stereotypical Frenchman attributes:

1). Cynical - very cynical. Check.

2). Reedy, underfed appearance, check, despite:

3). A great appreciation of cuisine. Check.

4). Lukewarm work ethic. Check. (Forget the fact he is supposedly a rich stockbroker, from watching him in the film he seems to put in ten hour workweeks.)

5). Beautiful wife, check. Despite that:

6). Loose interpretation of the marriage vows. Check.

7). Big sexual ego, which says an American girl owes you sex if you buy her dinner. Check.

Whether Mo is a hick or not, there's no reason for her to fall for this smug European twit other than the script dictates so.

On the other hand, as other male reviewers have, I did enjoy seeing Karen Allen's cute, petite body. I'll give the movie four stars; two of them are for that.

A Harlequin Romance type of movie about an American horticulturist marooned in Paris who encounters a married man when the group she is traveling with departs for other countries with her visa. Endlessly contrived situations that break up/make up the relationship between them - however, the charm and acting skill of both leads, Karen Allen and Thierry Lhermitte, together with countless nude scenes, succeeds in overcoming the deficiencies in the script. What the movie is missing most of all is a forceful subplot, which would have added a greater degree of complication and reasons for breaking up and making up. Both leads act well. Hard to understand why Karen Allen never became a bigger star. And interesting to see Thierry Lhermitte, sleek and groomed, in a romantic role instead of the comedic roles he usually plays. And of course there is Paris - which never looked lovelier, more sophisticated and charming. (What time does the next plane leave?) Not a great movie but enjoyable to watch on a rainy afternoon.

I saw this one in college — my roommate dragged me to it — and I enjoyed it. I watched it recently and found it boring and silly.

It's an attractive film (how can a film set in Paris be unattractive?). But the main character is a clueless bumpkin who is remarkably selfish. "Mo" is the kind of person who makes foreigners ridicule Americans. What Mo sees in Xavier and what he sees in her baffles me. He's a cold fish and she's a warm (albeit somewhat dull) and loving (if misguided) person. It would have been useful to flesh out his marital problems more thoroughly.

Still, it's a good film for exploring the differences between the French and Americans. The sex scenes are a bit gratuitous.

Vive Le difference. And vive La France.

I saw this movie in the theater when it came out, and it really stuck with me. Then I caught it again years later on late night TV, and recorded it, and fell madly in love with it. Although it has some silly parts, it is mostly a very engaging romance between a young American woman and a dashing French man, whom she met by chance when dropping in unexpectedly on a friend in Paris. In the late 80's, I would frequently watch this movie on a Saturday night when I wanted to just relax with some coffee and watch a film that totally took me away from everything. I would desperately love it if they put this on DVD someday. This may be a "chick flick", but oh what a lovely one. Catch it if you can.

Quelle Fromage! The lame plot! The contrived situation! The Karen- Allen-one-note-"acting"-factor! My husband was so annoyed by her character...stereotypical, boorish, self-centered American tourist. But this cheese-fest is saved by Thierry Lhermitte, who -- until now -- I thought did only genuinely funny (current) French comedies. He is great in those. How did he wander into this sub-par movie?

In this, Lhermitte is the most strikingly elegant window dressing I have ever seen. Just... jaw-dropping. What this man does for a suit is nearly illegal. I only hung in there through the whole wretched thing because I could not take my eyes off him. Other than that, Until September is a forgettable C-minus.