Le Grand Amour

A movie that wittily points to and sometimes upends its narrative.

It may be a stretch to call the filmmaker a forgotten genius, but if nothing else, Le Grand Amour makes a case that taix was a fertile clown, overdue for a bow in the spotlight.

Along the way, taix satirizes the marmoreal chill of the bourgeoisie, the small-town gossip mill, and, above all, the absurd yet agonized, blundering yet callous delusions of desire.

Director and co-writer Etaix does a fine, funny job in his commentary on modern marriage (at least, marriage in late 1960s France) and infidelity and the damaging power of gossip.