The Old Maid

Muriel is a woman in her forties who has never married. She has learned to hide her shyness behind a loud voice and a brusque manner. She comes to a seaside hotel for a holiday. A man called Gabriel washes up at the same hotel; his car has broken down and he will be staying a few days until it is repaired. The only free place in the dining room is at Muriel's table. The two of them end up sitting there together. Annie Girardot plays Muriel and Philippe Noiret plays Gabriel, and the film takes place almost entirely between the two of them. The story, directed by Jean-Pierre Blanc, promises a love story and does not deliver one; it is built on two people trying to get closer and pulling back at every attempt. The defence Muriel has built around herself is the film's real subject. Eighty-five minutes, and almost nothing happens; the only thing that happens is that two people's loneliness gets noticed.