This simple story may not be so simple after all. Romy Schneider navigates between two men, is pregnant or not, is preoccupied with her colleagues at work, and with her friends.

Claude Sautet creates little slices of life that reflect the preoccupations of this petite bourgeoisie: worrying about their work, getting together with friends at the country house, having sentimental affairs.

The film is really centered on Romy Schneider's character, with all the others gravitating around her. One quality, which may or may not be linked to Romy Schneider's performance, which may or may not be linked to Claude Sautet's intention, is that the viewer is never allowed to guess the motivations or what is going on inside the head of Romy Schneider's character. She never does. She's always a mystery.

Claude Sautet uses very little music, and that's a good thing, because the images are already powerful enough.

To be seen essentially for Romy Schneider and her character. The rest of the film is moderately interesting and exciting: we feel relatively unconcerned by the vicissitudes of the various characters. Romy Schneider's character often remains a little mysterious, even opaque.

Claude Sautet achieves a light-hearted drama, because the vicissitudes of Romy Schneider's character and those who gravitate around her are not those of a dramatic comedy.

Most French movies, and especially Claude Sautet's are very realistic, slow-paced, intelligent and "simple". Each one I have seen had great moments, as everyone encounters great moments in life. This may be too ordinary and plain. Though not boring at any time, at the end I could not think of any memorable scene, shot or dialogue, and thought it was missing something, although the title does suggest they didn't have much planned for the beautiful heroine. A story you may have had, heard, thought about- in French, on screen.

There is no doubt about Claude Sautet : He was a deep analyzer of souls...Having collaborated with this script - It goes without saying - he was like a surgeon grasping a medical knife and dissected the souls of all his characters. He tried to reveal what went "inside" his characters until saturation point in which there is not anything else to reveal... The highest point of this history is the deep demonstration of friendship that links Marie (Romy Schneider) and Jerôme (Roger Pigaut) who has to be dismissed of an enterprise due a re-structure in order that it becomes "modern". The film approaches a social aspect that says respect to us even so has been carried through in 1978: the summary cut of employees that are no "more incoming-producing". As if human being were objects that only exist to produce profits and not been born for the accomplishment of his aspirations! The spotless direction of Claude provided to Romy a César ( the "Oscar" of french cinema) who made frequent closes in order to caught the limpid look of the actress, as that if Marie wanted to analyze, however her interlocutor, however people who surrounds her, however definitive occasions in which are congregated all her friends... As if it treats - as indicates the heading of the film (A Simple History) I abstain to count it, only suggesting that everybody must see the film. In scale of 1 to 10, I vote: 10 (a masterpiece).