This weekend Sara and I went down to the Clinton Street theater to see The Rules of the Game. It's apparently one of the most well-regarded classic movies that I've never heard of until yesterday. Thankfully, it really is all it's cracked up to be.

The short version: Set right on the edge of WWII, the movie explores the relationships and societal rules of the French upper (and serving) classes. I classify it as a pure drama, though it's got a veneer of a farce covering it all. It's a fascinating look at people and how they treat each other, how they go about trying to achieve what they think they want, and how generally amoral they can be.

This was apparently a cleaned up and restored print and I'd hate to see a bad one. I'm not sure if it was the film or the Clinton Street, but it was not terribly clean to watch. I'm thinking of picking up the Criterion DVD, just to see if it ends up looking better or not.

Overall, well worth the time to see. A gem I never would have found otherwise.