"Claire's Knee" is a Smart, Witty Romance

It's to the credit of director Eric Rohmer that none of the behavior in Claire's Knee feels predatory, but rather romantic, sweet, delicate and aloof. When Jerome goes to sell his family's home, he ends spending the time playing out an odd experiment for old friend Aurora. Neighbor Laura, who's only 16, clearly has a crush on Jerome and Aurora wants Jerome to test how far Laura is willing to push her infatuation. Jerome finds it a bit silly but goes along with it; he says for the sake of Aurora but he's also sorting out some of his own feelings now that he's about to get married to a woman who he's had a tumultuous on-and-off-again relationship with for nearly six years. Jerome is the kind of person who claims he could never settle down and love one person, not fully at least. He's a lover of the world who's not satisfied with any one lover, but yet he ultimately finds himself cold towards everyone but his bride-to-be (who we never actually see, except once in a photo). He and Laura recklessly push forward with a game of chicken as to how far they're will to push their little affair but it ultimately doesn't amount to much (a simple kiss that never leads anywhere), and Jerome's eyes start falling upon Laura's recently arrived step-sister Claire who he finds himself mesmerized by even though he says he has no desire for her. The title refers to his fascination with her knee, which he claims holds the key to her psycho-sexual feelings, and imagines if he can just caress will alleviate any strong feeling he has for her.

There's a breezy, amiable, at times sensuous feel to the film marked by its gorgeous French countryside locales and meandering, casual dialogue. Rohmer pokes at the issues of romance, love, and fidelity from multiple different angles never suggesting to us that there's any one right away about them.

Grade: A