Four Adventures of Reinette and Mirabelle (French: Quatre aventures de Reinette et Mirabelle) is a 1987 French film written and directed by Éric Rohmer. It was made while he was making his Comedies and Proverbs series, but wasn't part of it.
As the title suggests, the film is made up of four episodes involving two young women in their late teens: Reinette (Joëlle Miquel) and Mirabelle (Jessica Forde).
Paris native Mirabelle is on a vacation in the French countryside at the start of the film. When her bicycle tire goes flat on a lane, she flags down Reinette, who's walking by, to help. They go to Reinette's house, where Reinette fixes the tire. The pair hit it off and Reinette shows Mirabelle the paintings she's been working on. Later, when Reinette goes to Paris to attend art school, she moves in with Mirabelle. Naïve Reinette has trouble adjusting to city life and relies on the more street-smart Mirabelle to help her. But the two also have some moments of conflict over questions of morals. Reinette has a very strict sense of right and wrong, while Mirabelle is more pragmatic. But in the end, they're both there for one another.
This film contains examples of:
- Chick Flick: You could call this The Bechdel Test: The Movie. The majority of the film is two females having conversations in which men aren't discussed very much.
- The City vs. the Country: The main theme. City Mouse Mirabelle needs Country Mouse Reinette to show her the beauty of nature, but once they get to Paris it's Mirabelle who needs to help Reinette.
- Dramedy: In the usual Rohmer style, but it has some of his most overtly comedic scenes.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: The art gallery owner is skeptical that Reinette actually painted her pictures, saying they remind him of "Mature male fantasies; Very mature," in a film about young women written and directed by a 66-year-old man.
- Male Gaze: Subverted. Reinette's paintings feature nude women, with a focus on rear ends, because she's thinks it's the most beautiful part of a woman's body.
- Meaningful Name: Reinette ("little queen", which besides being affectionate also matches her high-strung, judgmental side) and Mirabelle ("wondrous and beautiful").
- Nice to the Waiter: Reinette tries to be patient with the rude waiter, while Mirabelle tells him off.
- Random Events Plot: Specifically invoked by dividing the story into separate episodes.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: Mirabelle is Red, Reinette is Blue.
- Sarcastic Title: The "adventures" the girls have are the usual Slice of Life stories that are Rohmer's trademark.
- You Talk Too Much!: Reinette can be a Motor Mouth at times, which sets up the final episode, where Mirabelle dares her to become an Elective Mute for a day.
