With only a cat for company, clock repairer Julien (Jerzy Radziwilowicz) lives a solitary life in a ramshackle house littered with a lifetime of memorabilia. As a sideline to his business he has set himself up as a blackmailer to a mysterious and troubled shop owner, Madame X. 

Still haunted by the memory of a fleeting former lover Marie, Julien seems to summon her presence after seeing her in a dream. Evasive at first, Marie (Emmanuelle Bart) eventually agrees to move in with Julien. 

Marie falls in step with the habits of the house, acting as Juliens blackmail accomplice. She keeps one part of herself in reserve for the pain-staking restoration of one of his rooms, an activity that is key to understanding this enigma.

Divided into four chapters, Veteran French director Jacques Rivette makes subtle shifts between the perspectives of the two main characters, weaving a complex web from the strands of their daily lives and their dreams. 

Elusive and haunting, this film defies definition and demands the active participation of the viewer, in its exploration of love, loss, guilt, redemption and the passage of time. 

The sublime subtleties of the story are perfectly played out by the two leads, the ethereal Bart again demonstrating she is at the top of her craft.

Superb picture - 9/10