Though Eric Rohmer is the mind behind the writing, bringing back Veronique, character from an earlier short film with the same actress, Monsieur Godard is the director of this, and strangely enough it seems a very suitable work for him. Not much in style (Nouvelle Vague is just giving its first glances, though it's obsession with American cinema is there, represented by a James Dean poster) but mostly the view he gives to the characters, their expressions and above the attitude. First steps of a movement that was about to shake the world of cinema, commendable because of this, but let's just say Truffaut provided best with his "Les Mistons", a year earlier. He had more to share. Godard doesn't make it bad, just proves to be a little tiring, misogynist and lacking in humor. But is it funny as it looks when you hear about the plot? Not really.
In "All The Boys Are Called Patrick", friends for life Charlotte and Veronique (Anne Collette and Nicole Berger, respectively) meet the perfect garçon of their lives, an annoying yet irresistible guy named Patrick (Jean-Claude Brialy). They met him on the same day, different times and under different circumstances (but not so different since it all revolved around him presenting himself to them by interrupting what they're doing so he can ask random stuff), and when they share their stories to each other is when they reach the movie's title. But they also marked a date with him for the same night, time to meet up when...Surprises I don't wanna share.
It happens in life, though not in such a light and amusing way, it tends to get real worse. And my problem with the movie was that it seem to force us to have patience through the whole thing, enduring with this guy's attitudes towards the girls, his unstoppable desire to win both girls at all costs. That ruthless and ignorant entitlement most men have to force themselves and their ideas into women, thinking they're the best thing for women who don't want anything with such types. In a way, it's almost as if "rape culture" was taken lightly here. Not that anything sexual ever happens in the movie, but that's the kind of attitude taken to extremes that constitute in violence, abuse or death. And this still happens today. Making fun of a situation involving girls who can't find ways to reject a man they don't want to be around, creating this notion that the female characters are playing hard to get and deep down they want this "charming" man, it's just preposterous. Not a single smile was shared. Except when Brialy's attempts were viewed as simplistic, the early stages of "conquering" - like when he meets Charlotte and he tries to guess what book she's reading, and his clumsiness is so ridiculous that he falls from a chair.
The approval I'm giving to this short film goes due to its presentation style, Godard might have learned a lot while making this film and that's one of the reasons why he's the acclaimed director he is; and the ending was simply one of the greatest I've ever seen and made the whole worth watching. You go, girls! 10/10
