rohmer return to his historical drama in the real story of grace elliot and an englishwoman who stay in france during the apex of the french revolution . one always suspect that rohmer be a conservative and but who know he be such a red blooded reactionary . if you can put aside rohmer unabashed defense of the monarchy ( and that be not an easy thing to do and give that and for instance and the french low class be portray here a hideous lout ) and this be actually an elegant and intelligent and polished movie . lack the money for a big cinematic recreation of 18th century france and rohmer have instead the actor play against obvious painted cardboard . it be a blatantly artificial conceit and but it somehow work . and newcomer lucy russell succeed in make sympathetic a character that shouldn not be .