--- title: "A Tale of Winter" year: 1992 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/a-tale-of-winter" fi1m_id: "a-tale-of-winter" imdb_id: "tt0104008" tmdb_id: 10241 wikidata_id: "Q2422304" fi1m_score: 78 critics_score: 72 critics_reviews: 4 published: "2026-09-26T02:10:24.344877+00:00" updated: "2026-09-26T02:10:25.067599+00:00" region: "IT" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # A Tale of Winter (1992) Directed by Éric Rohmer · 1h 54m · Drama, Romance ## Identity A Tale of Winter - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/a-tale-of-winter - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** a-tale-of-winter - **IMDb ID:** tt0104008 - **TMDB ID:** 10241 - **Wikidata ID:** Q2422304 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104008/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/10241, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2422304 **Fi1m score: 78** · Critics 72 (early) from 4 reviews *In a sentence:* Everyone has something to say about love, which does rather complicate having a conversation > Éric Rohmer’s conversational romance rewards patience, chiefly through Charlotte Véry’s funny, unforced presence. Its discussions can become wearing, but the sympathy behind them makes this a worthwhile evening for those who enjoy people talking themselves into trouble. ## Synopsis Félicie (Charlotte Véry) is at the centre of a winter romance in which talking about love does not make choosing any simpler. Charles (Frédéric van den Driessche), Maxence (Michel Voletti) and Loïc (Hervé Furic) are among the people in her story. Her romantic troubles give rise to conversations about what people want from one another, and how much confidence they can place in their feelings. Éric Rohmer’s drama follows these uncertainties through everyday encounters, with attention to the explanations people offer and the doubts those explanations leave behind. ## Review *A Tale of Winter* is a good romantic drama for anyone who finds the discussion of a feeling almost as interesting as the feeling itself. Éric Rohmer gives romantic uncertainty room to become awkward, funny and occasionally exhausting. The pleasure comes from listening closely, rather than waiting for the conversation to finish so that something can happen. There are stretches when that distinction will offer little comfort to an impatient viewer, but the people remain worth our attention. Charlotte Véry is the principal reason to stay with it. Her Félicie makes the business of trying to understand oneself amusing without making the person doing it look foolish. We found her funny, and felt protective of her: the humour comes from the difficulty of explaining a feeling while still being subject to it. Véry keeps that difficulty recognisable, so that a conversation need not produce a satisfactory answer to hold our interest. Rohmer’s screenplay is generous about the explanations people give for their behaviour. It allows us to hear them out, including when we suspect that further discussion will not settle anything. That generosity can become a weakness, since the attention paid to a romantic problem sometimes exceeds the interest of what is being said about it. We occasionally wanted a conversation to stop sooner, particularly when its value lay in confirming an uncertainty we already understood. The naturalistic filmmaking helps prevent the discussions from feeling like a succession of prepared speeches. Luc Pagès’s cinematography suits the wintry setting without making the season more important than the people, while Mary Stephen’s editing gives the exchanges breathing space. The restraint is welcome, although it also means that a passage which loses our interest has little else to distract us. The music credited to Sébastien Erms belongs to that unobtrusive approach; the voices are what command our attention. Within romantic drama, this is an appealingly patient way of treating people whose feelings resist tidy explanations. Rohmer does not need us to agree with every speaker, and the film is more enjoyable when we stop treating each exchange as a proposition to approve or reject. Its compassionate humour matters here: it permits irritation without encouraging contempt. The limitation is that such patience can make different conversations feel too similar, however carefully the actors distinguish the people having them. The balance is favourable, though we would recommend it with a fairly specific caveat. Enjoyment depends on taking an interest in how people describe their romantic troubles, including the descriptions that are incomplete, repetitive or unpersuasive. Véry supplies enough warmth and amusement to make that attention feel repaid, and Rohmer’s refusal to hurry gives her room to do so. Choose it for an evening when listening to someone reconsider a feeling sounds like a pleasure rather than an additional obligation. *Fi1m score 78, published 26 September 2026.* ## Straight answers **Is A Tale of Winter worth watching?** *A Tale of Winter* is worth watching if patient, conversational romance appeals to us, and we score it 78 out of 100. Charlotte Véry brings warmth and humour to Félicie’s romantic uncertainty, though the discussions sometimes repeat what we already understand; we recommend it for an evening when listening matters more than incident. **How long is A Tale of Winter, and what is it rated?** *A Tale of Winter* runs 1h 54m. It is a drama and romance film. **Where can I watch A Tale of Winter in Italy?** *A Tale of Winter* is not on any streaming or rental service in Italy at the moment. It is available in 2 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily. **How violent or frightening is A Tale of Winter, and is it suitable for children?** *A Tale of Winter* has a UK 15 certificate, so it is not suitable for children under 15. The certificate indicates material unsuitable for younger viewers, but we cannot specify levels of violence or fear from the information available; our review describes a conversational romance whose main demands are patience and interest in romantic uncertainty. **How does A Tale of Winter compare to Brief Encounter?** *A Tale of Winter* is the more conversational choice beside [*Brief Encounter*](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter), which we recommend more strongly for its painful treatment of falling in love. Rohmer finds warmth and humour in people explaining their uncertain feelings, sometimes at wearing length; David Lean makes love feel ordinary and frightening, though Alec is less fully drawn. **What should I watch after A Tale of Winter?** After *A Tale of Winter*, try [*Brief Encounter*](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter) (1945, Fi1m 90): For another romance attentive to the painful practicalities of feeling. Then [*Before Sunrise*](https://film.one/film/before-sunrise) (1995, Fi1m 89): Two people talking, with enough curiosity to make the time count; and [*In the Mood for Love*](https://film.one/film/in-the-mood-for-love) (2000, Fi1m 91): For romantic uncertainty expressed through restraint, repetition and close attention. ### Reviews we read (4) - **Los Angeles Times**, Kevin Thomas (95/100, inferred): Thomas calls Rohmer’s film scintillating, wise and funny, praising its compassionate humor and romantic commitment to following the heart. He singles out Charlotte Very’s amusing portrayal of Felicie and Rohmer’s skill with conversation and naturalistic filmmaking. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-04-13-ca-45280-story.html) - **Time Out** (65/100, inferred): The page presents the film as another season of Rohmer's relationship-focused cinema. Its description singles out the wintry setting and the characters' romantic troubles. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/newyork/film/a-tale-of-winter) - **RogerEbert.com** (64/100, inferred): The page could not be accessed, so its verdict is unavailable. Its specific praise or criticism likewise cannot be verified. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-a-tale-of-winter-1992) - **The New York Times** (64/100, inferred): The page is inaccessible, so the critic’s verdict cannot be established. No specific praise or complaint can be verified from the available text. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1992/10/02/movies/review-film-festival-another-seasonal-tale-from-rohmer.html) ## Details - **Director:** Éric Rohmer - **Director:** Éric Rohmer - **Screenplay:** Éric Rohmer - **Cinematography:** Luc Pagès - **Editor:** Mary Stephen - **Music:** Sébastien Erms - **Costume design:** Pierre-Jean Larroque - **Producer:** Margaret Menegoz - **Cast:** Charlotte Véry as Félicie; Frédéric van den Driessche as Charles; Michel Voletti as Maxence; Hervé Furic as Loïc; Ava Loraschi as Elise; Christiane Desbois as Mother; Rosette as Sister; Jean-Luc Revol as Brother-in-Law - **Runtime:** 1h 54m - **First release (France):** 29 January 1992 - **Genres:** Drama, Romance - **Box office:** $213,687 - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfhcwzO0VTk ## Where to watch in Italy Not streaming, renting or buying in Italy at the last check. Also available in: ES, GB. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *My Night at Maud's* (1969): More Rohmer, with conversation making romantic decisions considerably harder to reach. - *Brief Encounter* (1945), Fi1m 90: For another romance attentive to the painful practicalities of feeling. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter.md) - *Before Sunrise* (1995), Fi1m 89: Two people talking, with enough curiosity to make the time count. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/before-sunrise.md) - *The Lunchbox* (2013): An intimate romance that gives ordinary routines and hesitant communication their due. - *In the Mood for Love* (2000), Fi1m 91: For romantic uncertainty expressed through restraint, repetition and close attention. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/in-the-mood-for-love.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/a-tale-of-winter