Muriel, or the Time of Return
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69% Critic Match

Muriel, or the Time of Return

6.9 / 10 1963 1h 57mNR French
Drama

Storyline

In the seacoast town of Boulogne, antique furniture saleswoman Hélène lives with her stepson, Bernard, who's back from military duty in Algiers. An old lover of Hélène's comes to visit, Alphonse, with his niece Françoise; he too is back from Algiers, where he ran a café. Bernard speaks of his fiancée, Muriel, whom Hélène has not met. The past is obscured by guilt, misperceptions, and missed possibilities. Appearances deceive, things change. As Hélène and Alphonse try to sort out a renewal, everyone seems off-kilter just enough to hint that all cannot end well.

Cast & Crew

Delphine Seyrig

Delphine Seyrig

Hélène Aughain

Lead
Jean-Pierre Kérien

Jean-Pierre Kérien

Alphonse Noyard

Jean-Baptiste Thiérrée

Jean-Baptiste Thiérrée

Bernard Aughain

NK

Nita Klein

Françoise

Claude Sainval

Claude Sainval

Roland de Smoke

Laurence Badie

Laurence Badie

Claudie

MV

Martine Vatel

Marie-Dominique, aka Marie-Do

Philippe Laudenbach

Philippe Laudenbach

Robert

What People Are Saying

4.0
A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Alain Resnais's vision lands with breathtaking precision.
Manohla Dargis, The New York Times
3.0
Every frame feels alive. Muriel, or the Time of Return is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.
Anthony Lane, The New Yorker