In the Shadow of Women
Pierre and Manon make low-budget documentaries and live off odd jobs. When Pierre meets a young trainee, Elisabeth, she becomes his mistress. But Pierre doesn't want to leave Manon – he wants to keep both women. Elisabeth discovers that Manon also has a lover, and tells Pierre who begins to spy on Manon. Pierre returns to Manon, the woman he truly loves. Feeling betrayed, he begs her, neglecting Elisabeth…Pierre cannot help himself from tormenting Manon and she eventually discovers his affair with Elisabeth causing a rift between them.
Critic Reviews:
- “Garrel uses a panoramic frame to stress the characters' closeness (or lack thereof), and the players waltz through his simple, neatly structured script.” – Chicago Reader
- “Merhar emotes so little than his bodily tremble during a climactic argument with his wife is seismic. Courau, on the other hand, frowns, dotes, laughs, and seems entirely human.” – Brooklyn Magazine
- “Garrel's exceptional achievement is managing to treat such potentially trite material with a freshness that is discreetly radical.” – The Film Stage