The mysterious paranoia that pervades the film is very well executed, though at times it'd be nice if it were a little more focused. Rivette is experimenting with a lot of visual styles and soundtrack choices and, while they give the film an eclectic feel, for the most part they fit the mood well.

Interesting affair that, in most cases, you will either love for it's inconsistent plot structure or hate for the very same reason. The atmosphere Rivette creates quite fascinating, but it ends up tripping itself due to the lack of structure.

A very odd and indeed disconcerting blend of political paranoia, existential angst, romantic entanglement, theatrical allusion, cinematic inventiveness and urban nightmare. Much like life.

Rivette's debut is typical French New Wave in both matter and form. It deals with young Parisian bohemians working in theater and worried about politics (an imagined government conspiracy, not the reality in Algeria heavens forbid). The photography and editing are playful, mostly in an annoying and hopeless bid to liven up the overwrought, boring and humorless text. The plot is meandering and directionless. The cast has much shoddy acting but features cameos from all the Cahiers auteurs.

Hated the ending.

"Rivette was perhaps more of a prognosticator than he realized, anticipating the downfall of the very movement he was involved in before it had effectively begun." - Keith Uhlich

This is what Truffaut would have made if he had the playfulness of Antonioni. It was kind of interesting at first until I realized what a boring character Anne was. There was still some great dialogue and editing, but it was few and far between. Towards the end I was checking the time quite often.

Sublime - best film of the nouvelle vague. Rivette has a disturbing sensibility about him and this, his first film, is his best. Brilliance from beginning to end.