Rating: 
Summary: Super bon!
Review: If infintisemally less fine than its companion piece (and equally sumptuous feast for Beartophiles) "Un Coeur en Hiver", this movie is still light-years ahead of any romance that Hollywood has put out in the last 50 or 60 years. Do yourself a favor and watch it.
Rating:
Summary: A Moment Missed
Review: Like the graceful lines of the female form, there is an elegance to Claude Sautet's "Nelly and Monsieur Arnaud." Emmanuelle Beart's delicate beauty and an exceptional performance from Michel Serrault highlight this subtle film of unrequited love. Beart's exquisite countenance as Nelly, who separates from her affable but lazy husband and begins working with former judge and businessman Monsieur Arnaud, complements perfectly the atmosphere Sautet creates for this look at what might have been. As Nelly helps the older and dignified Arnaud (Michel Serrault) with his memoirs, stolen glances and hesitations are the nuance framing their budding romance, deeply rooted but never allowed to bloom. This is a stately film of moments missed and feelings unspoken. When do you take the chance? When do you tell someone you love them? How do you know when an infatuation has turned into real love? And is there a moment when it is too late to speak? This intellectually engaging and ultimately moving film deals with these questions. Perhaps the most telling moment comes when Arnaud sits watching the radiant and sleeping Beart. The deep love inside him reaches out for her but never touches her, his hand pulling back with his heart, afraid to try. Though this film garnered the French Ceaser for direction and Serrault's performance, not lost is the elegance and grace of stunning beauty Emmanuelle Beart. There is a suppressed emotional longing to her performance. Like many foreign films, "Nelly and Monsieur Arnaud" has more of an overall emotional impact as a whole, rather than specific moments. This is definitely a film worth seeing, and owning.
Rating: 
Summary: Du bien beau cinéma français
Review: Nelly and Monsieur Arnaud de Claude Sautet représente ce que le cinéma français fait de mieux. Un scénario solide et des dialogues fins et intelligents. Que dire de la réplique de Michel Serreault à Émanuelle Béart lorsque cette dernière tape le manuscrit sur un odinateur : «Ah! ces machines, ça a beaucoup de mémoire, mais pas de souvenirs!». De plus, nous ne pouvons passer sous silence le jeu des comédiens qui ont accompagné Sautet dans ce film. Je vous le conseille pour la beauté, la vérité et la force de l'amour.
Rating: 
Summary: Quietly lacking vigor.
Review: Sautet's follow-up to his flawlessly ambiguous masterpiece "A Heart in Winter," lacking as it does the latter's exquisite tautness, feels slack and in need of invigoration.
Rating:
Summary: This film is more than a film
Review: Sautet's talent is fully displayed in Nelly et M. Arnaud. He revealed the subtly and complexity of human relationships so clearly that any human beings will agree with. This film is about dissecting reality beautifully on the silver screen. The ending was astutely thought out that one has to admit that only the French can do it.
Rating: 
Summary: typical of the worst in French cinema
Review: There is no story here, which is of itself no huge sin, but neither is it well-acted, at least not by Ms Beart. Every man within a five-mile radius looks completely smitten, but she does not justify these reactions - she does little but speak in monosyllables and look smug. Nor is her impassive, somewhat frog-like beauty enough of an explanation in itself - Paris is crawling with more beautiful and charming women. The funniest part of the whole thing is watching Ms Beart pretend to use a word-processor - she keeps some of the keys pressed down, never uses the space bar, and moves her elbows in and out as if playing the piano. Those who praise this movie, I suspect, would consider it a crashing bore if played in a U.S. setting by American actors.
Rating:
Summary: My kind of film.
Review: This film takes place against the backdrop of central Paris, always a plus in my book. Michel Serrault plays Pierre Arnaud, a charming older man, a retired judge, who is well beyond his prime. At a pavement cafe, he is introduced, by a mutual friend, to Nelly, (Emmanuelle Beart) a lovely young woman, and is immediately attracted to her, as any man of any age would be. Within minutes she is confiding in him and he is offering her money to pay off her three month's rent arrears. He then offers to employ her to assist him in writing his memoirs . She accepts both, and in no time they have set up a close working relationship, which becomes, as time goes by, increasingly pleasurable for both of them. However, he becomes tormented by his love for her whilst finding himself, because of the discrepancy in their ages, unable to do anything about it. She is out of reach and he can't bear it. In the mean time, she has divorced her husband and has started dating Pierre's young publisher. But her heart is still with Pierre and when the publisher suggests that they live together and she turns him down, he will have nothing more to do with her. She is alone again. At this point, Pierre hears from his ex-wife that her second husband has died and she is coming to Paris to see him. Then things happen quickly. One morning, two days later, Nelly arrives for work to be told that Pierre and his ex-wife are leaving that morning for an extended round the world trip that will take several months. Nelly is stunned by this news, suddenly realising how much Pierre means to her. Pierre, empathising with her and now fully aware of the enormity of what he is about to do, passionately embraces her for the first and last time as he says goodbye. Both now accept that their love is doomed to remain unconsummated. At the airport, whilst his ex-wife is getting the tickets, he stands in a reverie thinking longingly of Nelly. At that same moment we see her, having finished her work for the day, walking home with her head held high and then disappearing into the crowd. We are left wishing her well and desperately wanting to know what the future holds for her. It is an inconclusive, poignant ending typical of so many French films. If you like the intimacy and subtlety of French films then you will like this one. But it is a film to like and not rave about. It is a very gentle film - perhaps too much so. As some other reviewer has said, Emmanuelle Beart is very passive; she certainly lacks vivacity. But that is probably a trait that some will like. I do.
Rating:
Summary: My kind of film.
Review: This film takes place against the backdrop of central Paris, always a plus in my book. Michel Serrault plays Pierre Arnaud, a charming older man, a retired judge, who is well beyond his prime. At a pavement cafe, he is introduced, by a mutual friend, to Nelly, (Emmanuelle Beart) a lovely young woman, and is immediately attracted to her, as any man of any age would be. Within minutes she is confiding in him and he is offering her money to pay off her three month's rent arrears. He then offers to employ her to assist him in writing his memoirs . She accepts both, and in no time they have set up a close working relationship, which becomes, as time goes by, increasingly pleasurable for both of them. However, he becomes tormented by his love for her whilst finding himself, because of the discrepancy in their ages, unable to do anything about it. She is out of reach and he can't bear it. In the mean time, she has divorced her husband and has started dating Pierre's young publisher. But her heart is still with Pierre and when the publisher suggests that they live together and she turns him down, he will have nothing more to do with her. She is alone again. At this point, Pierre hears from his ex-wife that her second husband has died and she is coming to Paris to see him. Then things happen quickly. One morning, two days later, Nelly arrives for work to be told that Pierre and his ex-wife are leaving that morning for an extended round the world trip that will take several months. Nelly is stunned by this news, suddenly realising how much Pierre means to her. Pierre, empathising with her and now fully aware of the enormity of what he is about to do, passionately embraces her for the first and last time as he says goodbye. Both now accept that their love is doomed to remain unconsummated. At the airport, whilst his ex-wife is getting the tickets, he stands in a reverie thinking longingly of Nelly. At that same moment we see her, having finished her work for the day, walking home with her head held high and then disappearing into the crowd. We are left wishing her well and desperately wanting to know what the future holds for her. It is an inconclusive, poignant endingtypical of so many French films. If you like the intimacy and subtlety of French films then you will like this one. But it is a film to like and not rave about. It is a very gentle film - perhaps too much so. As some other reviewer has said, Emmanuelle Beart is very passive; she certainly lacks vivacity. But that is probably a trait that some will like. I do.
Rating:
Summary: masterpiece
Review: This is best movie made in France ever.I enjoy in every minut.This movie is masterpiece of Claude Sautet,and everyone should see it.I saw this movie year ago,but it is now in my heart,and it will stay there forever.
Rating:
Summary: A Moment Missed
Review: This is the film that I watch when I am in a decidedly Parisian mood. The lightning fast dialogue, the eloquent gestures and the few glimpses of the city conjure up that wonderful Parisian essence. The outdoor scenes are pre-wintry gray whereas the indoor scenes are softly luminous. These descriptions can also be attributed to the distinguished, older Monsieur Arnaud (a delightfully cynical but witty Michel Serrault) and the beautiful young Nelly (Emmanuelle Beart's loveliness saves her from mediocre acting abilities). Nelly is a woman in her twenties struggling to make ends meet after being laid off from her publishing job. The fact that her husband (Charles Berling of Ridicule) is also out of work and completely demotivated allows her to entertain an offer that she would not normally accept - a substantial loan from a virtual stranger, Monsieur Arnaud. She meets Monsieur Arnaud through her elegant, older friend, Jacqueline who confides that she once had an affair with this judge turned successful businessman. Jacqueline was attracted by his ability to really listen to a woman and offer true friendship. Nelly ends up accepting Pierre Arnaud's offer to type up his memoirs, and the two develop a unique relationship as they match wits in editing his manuscript. He's alternately gruff yet admiring while she's coyly feigning nonchalance. An undeniable chemistry exists but is never physically expressed. Monsieur Arnaud's publisher, the young, dark, somewhat smarmy Vincent is immediately attracted to Nelly. She's reluctantly drawn to him after spending an enjoyable evening with Monsieur Arnaud in one of Paris' most exclusive restaurants. Why she gets treated to this extravagant evening is a fun story in and of itself. After a dinner of remarkable fare, exceptional dessert wine (Chateau d'Yquem, 1961!) and flirtatious conversation, the desire to end the evening in intimacy results in Nelly seeking out Vincent. While Pierre Arnaud provides her with stimulating and heartfelt companionship, Vincent merely provides her with a physical outlet. Although Vincent wants more from Nelly, in her eyes, he cannot take Pierre's place. The subplots also support the major theme of love and age. A sweetly sad movie that will satisfy those in the mood for good (French) dialogue and a twist on the May-December relationship.
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