A young woman's knee plays a pivotal role in tilting the intellectual-emotional axis of a groom-to-be in this tale spun out of moral questions, summer sports, and recreational introspection. The intrigue is set in motion by Aurora, a writer friend of the future husband (Jean-Claude Brialy) who suggests that he allow himself to become involved with Laura, a teenager who has a crush on him, and allow Aurora to chart their movements into a novel. Whatever higher plan there was to this game is thrown out of orbit when his interest gravitates to the epiphanous knee of Laura's stepsister Claire. The plot turns on the collapsed caprices of the self-examining characters, but when their illusions crash, there isn't a hint of tragic weight; a renewed self-awareness floats them to the ground. Patience and benevolence cadence the New Wave modernism of Rohmer's films. He sends his characters out on short self-explorations and guides them back to an acceptance of themselves. -Tom Kemper