When Nelly, a woman being just divorced, meets by chance M. Arnaud, a mature salesman just retired, begins a strange and special relationship between the two personalities.

Director Claude Sautet (1924-2000) has really been a force in French cinema. Many -- most? -- of his movies are already considered classics, at least among those who appreciate foreign film. (Among the average viewer, his name probably does not mean much.) For me, though, he will always be associated with "Eyes Without a Face", even though he was the writer and not the director.

In "Nelly", we get one of Sautet's last big films. Definitely not my favorite, but then again, I already mentioned that I love "Eyes", so how could this compare?

Nelly, a young Parisian woman, is married to Jerome, a man who for all appearances does not want to work. Whatever brought them together is keeping them apart, something that Nelly tells Jerome early on as they split. Nelly, who has had a few uninteresting jobs, even selling bread in a bakery, owes money that she will have to repay.

Hope arrives as she and Jacqueline meet one day at a cafe. Looking from their table, Jacqueline notices an elderly man enter the place. She confesses to Nelly he is Monsieur Arnaud, who was her lover. Upon hearing Nelly's predicament, Arnaud offers her a job in helping him with the memoirs he has written and he is now revising before the work is published. Arnaud has led an interesting life as a judge in a French possession. With the job, Arnaud tells Nelly he will give her the money in order for her to repay what she owes.

It is obvious Arnaud likes the young woman; he would like to have her, but he is too wise a man to realize he has no chance, or that their age difference, will be an obstacle. That is why Arnaud says nothing and acts instead in a subtle way, but ultimately the interest Nelly awakens in Vincent Granec, the editor in charge of the book, proves to be the thing that will work against him.

Claude Sautet, the French director, who died right after this film was made, showed he had a great sense of style as well as telling a mature story for more sophisticated viewers. Mr. Sautet contributed to the screenplay, which leaves things to the audience to solve rather than solve the problem for us. Mr. Sautet left an impressive number of films for the delight of his followers.

The best thing in the film is Michel Serrault. This versatile actor makes an impression with his subtle performance about a man that can still feel a passion, but is aware a liaison with Nelly will be fatal as far as getting the young woman to love him for what he is. Emmanuelle Beart also has a good opportunity as the shy woman that has been married to the wrong man. Although beautiful she only wears dowdy clothes, perhaps not to provoke the desire that might involve her in an affair she knows is not for her. One thing is clear, Ms. Beart, as a typist, or even a secretary, would not have been able to make a living, but in the make believe world of the movies, one wonders how those memoirs could have been typed since it is obvious she had no clue how to use a keyboard! Anyway, someone as beautiful as her, should never have to worry about those menial things. Jean-Hughes Anglade makes a valuable contribution as Granec, the man that falls in love with Nelly. Claire Nadeau and Francoise Brion, as well as Charles Berling are among the supporting players.

"Nelly and Monsieur Arnaud" is all about a beautiful Parisian working woman (Emmanuelle Béart) and the men in her life. Suffering from marital ennui Nelly estranges herself from her husband and takes a job typing memoirs for an older Monsieur Arnaud as he dictates to her in his drawing room. During the course of the film we see a handful of miscellaneous characters come and go while Nelly has dinner, types, goes to a party, types, takes a swim, types, an does many more very mundane things. I was extremely disappointed in this film given its fine cast and excellent pedigree. An unfortunate drone of inconsequential busyness which ends abruptly and offers no reason for audience interest save sheer voyeurism, this film makes Nelly out to be a person without a single interesting thought in her lovely head. All in all, "Nelly and Monsieur" plays out like a whole lot of very nicely done nothingness. (C+)