User reviews

Ingrid Bergman's excellent performance is what makes this film. She sincerely deals with the problem of September love; I've never seen her more beautiful or more committed. Anthony Perkins as the young spoiled mama's boy is excellent, and the scenes with the two of them are very believable. (It's called acting) Yves Montand is terrible---he's longing to be speaking in French. The scene at the end between Bergman & Perkins from the top of the stairs could move a stone to tears. Only Bergman could convincingly pull off a perfect soap opera--there will never be anyone like her.

For better or worse, the book on which this film is based, Francoise Sagan's highly-touted French best seller, "Aimez-vous Brahms?" was a key document in the early 60's feminist awakening, depicting as it does a horrendous case study of gallic male chauvinism toward an intelligent and faithful woman. Despite the obvious soapiness of the plot, Bergman makes the movie version credible. Her soulful eyes and sad little smile enhance a lovable portrayal of the heroine Paula. Few other actresses of the time had the presence and skill to bring this off -- allowing us to fathom the almost tragic depth of the jejeune Phillip's fascination with a gorgeous "older woman" while avoiding the appearance of silliness which might have, but does not, taint Paula's irrational loyalty to Roger. In short, Ingrid probably set the standard for the many subsequent portrayals of more successful independent yet loving women. The rest of the cast helps too -- Montand's magnetism makes Paula's continuing love for the cad almost believable and, for once, Anthony Perkins' stereotypical "spoiled rich boy " portrayal is right on target and his infatuation convincing.

High class soap opera with Ingrid, stylishly dressed and becomingly coiffured, looking wonderful. She of course gives the best performance with Anthony Perkins a close second. The main problem is that her longing for Yves Montand, a stolid lout, is puzzling. In a sign of how the times have changed the enchanting beautiful Ingrid, who states that she is forty, considers herself old and seems desperately afraid of being alone and is willing to settle for crumbs from a man whom she is clearly to good for. Still as these sort of pictures go this is a fine diversion, competently directed with handsome black and white photography. Jessie Royce Landis is fun in a small part as Tony's mother.

Came in on this 30 minutes late yesterday, with no adolescent experience from yesteryear to back reference, I found it amazingly sappy, and inexplicably magnetic. I couldn't believe I would watch the rest, but did! Perhaps it's Paris, perhaps it's Bergman's effortless magnetism. It's not that she's so lovely or desirable--it's that she's so honest.

An actress of this much grace is worthy of something more useful than the milksop of Anthony Perkins as Philip. Sure, he's supposed to be dense, naive and a mama's-boy. And at this point in time Perkins was being worked as a leading man he never became. For good reason. There's no substantive distinction between this role and his role in Psycho. Opaque. His smile/smirk frozen, false and inscrutable. In initial courting he really does come off more oppressive and menacing than lovelorn. The "light switch" scene: I'm not sure if he's going to kiss her or kill her.

Oh, if only they had cast a believable actor. The scenes where he stops going to work have no veracity at all. He is a wooden marionette. Montand does his Montand thing but it's direct and simple anyway. No significant hopeful would have taken the second role of dumpee, but if Philip had been played by a young Redford-type this movie could have been much more.

I've loved that Brahms piece for years so it was amazing to hear it singled out with such fury as a plot element, and the continual thematic variations in the background. A bit heavy- handed but appreciated.

Many of the last few scenes are just delicious. The "viewed-from across the floor" scene during Philips resignation celebration was completely believable, despite it's melodrama. And that hang-dog look that Bergman gets--who could guess she could wear that kabuki mask believably!?

The real gems are all in the last 15 minutes. The ending itself is stunningly modern for the tone of this movie. Honest and direct and unflinching. I had heard of the make-up removal scene before but it was beautiful to watch.

Wow! what a film! I cannot believe I never saw this movie until this evening.

Great performances by all. The script is perfect in my opinion. The cinematography by Armand Thirard is simply beautiful; giving a real Parisian early 60's Be-Bop nuance. Auric's film score is great. Ingrid is in excellent acting form & stunning. Yves plays his character very close to the vest which is exactly how this kind of personality needs to be played. Diahann Carroll is so beautiful & cool as the nightclub singer. Jessie Royce Landis is wonderful as Perkins' mother. I've only seen Anthony Perkins in 3 other films & he in my opinion is always excellent. He was obviously a very intuitive actor & so very gorgeous & I think his incredible looks may have hampered others from seeing his incredible acting talents.

What else can I say without giving away this magnificent story? A must see for all young girls. The ending scene is so moving I couldn't even cry although I understand why so many other viewers wrote that this is a movie where you need to have plenty of tissues handy. It was a shocking film for me to watch on so many levels because it offered exactly what you expected & then it didn't - too true to life in a most poignant way. Heart wrenching - a definite must see.

Not much to add to what others have already written. Except that Anatol Litvak often tries something weirdly expressionistic in his films (see the wild "Five Miles to Midnight", made immediately following Goodbye Again, also with Tony Perkins).

Here, it's at the end of a scene at the elegant Pre Catelan restaurant. Ingrid and Yves' relationship is floundering. Ingrid rushes away in her little car. Finally alone, she can allow herself to cry. And there follows a long, odd subjective shot, with tears as thick as honey dripping ever so slowly down the lens. Confused, Ingrid turns on the windshield wipers repeatedly until she realizes that she's crying, it's not rain. (The way it is shot, if it had been rain, each drop would have been as large as a pint).

I haven't had the pleasure to read "Aimez Vous Brahms?" but even if the heroine does turn on windshield wipers because she doesn't realize that she is crying, it doesn't translate to film. It has to be seen to be believed.

Good Bye Again (1961)

Wow, such a beautiful and poignant look at fidelity and sacrifice in a relationship, just as the world is teetering from mid-20th Century stability to the 1960s and the free-for-all that meant for many. And the movie itself is one of the last, like "The Apartment" on this side of the Atlantic, to be made in the old Hollywood style, with invisible editing, gorgeous black and white photography, tight story construction, and a full, rounded sensibility that might, without being derogatory, be called "classic." I could watch it again today just for its perfect blending of acting, writing, filming, and tragic themes, which struck me hard.

It's hard to believe this kind of movie didn't fly at the time, and hasn't made an impression since. Anthony Perkins is at his charming, disarming best here (he had just finished filming "Psycho"), and in some ways steals the show from the much bigger headliner, an amazing (as always) Ingrid Bergman. They make an unlikely screen couple, but a great one. The tensions between them are not only reasonable, their inevitable, or so the writing has made it seem. Which is perfect. The third star is a paradigm of old school suave European manliness, Yves Montand, quite wonderfully appealing and disgusting at the same time. Everyone is dressed great, thanks to costume design by Christian Dior. (There's even a comment by a rich older woman who says she's going shopping "to Dior's.")

This is a very European feeling film, though it is of course an "American" movie in that it's in English, but it was officially made by the small production company, Argus, which otherwise made only French films. This was the era of the declining and disappearing studios, and one way a movie got made was exactly like this, patching together talents and money and location shooting. Making it a European film had the advantage of pushing some adult issues, which is what helps the film have relevance today. The director, Anatole Litvak, though an immigrant to the U.S., was thoroughly a Hollywood director, and overall this has the feel of the best of the great Golden Age movies, though updated of course by the realities of 1960s Paris. Along those lines, there is a great appearance of club jazz singer Diahann Carroll.

For a really nice detailing of the film see the TCM article here: http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/88170%7C0/Goodbye-Again.html or just google the title and TCM.

Those familiar with Ingrid Bergman's body of work know that she was never afraid to take a risk. Back in "the day", it was very risky for a mature woman to take a role of a middle-aged woman having an affair with a younger man. It pretty much cemented the actress in old age forever. But Ingrid didn't care, and she made the very well-acted drama Goodbye Again. In contrast to the usual trope, Ingrid isn't a married woman whose husband doesn't pay attention to her. Instead, she's a respected career woman who enjoys the company of Yves Montand without any intention of getting married. Yves is a bit too much of a playboy, though, and Ingrid would like to feel valued. Along comes Anthony Perkins, and he puts Ingrid up on a huge pedestal. Value, appreciation, and dedication get served to her on a silver platter - should she say no just because society won't approve?

You'll have to watch this romantic drama to find out. Fans of the cast will really like it. Also, if you're in the mood for a refreshingly tasteful movie amidst a decade of wild, psychedelic flicks, this will fit the bill. Next up, grab your Kleenexes and try out A Walk in the Spring Rain or Ten North Frederick. Also, keep your eyes peeled for Jesse Royce Landis, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Diahann Carroll, and Yul Brynner in a quick cameo.

The most sobworthy romantic film I've ever seen. I would've cried, except my brother was present. Perkins was the only fun thing in it, with his "play-acting". In one part, he single-handedly did an impression of an entire U.S. law court, speeded up. I will take that sequence with me to the grave. And of course, the other brilliant bit when Perkins, COMPLETELY drunk, decides to join Bergman and Montand in the club. It ends up with him being driven home with his head knocking against the car window... But the end was the most distressing part - well, I won't spoil that for you. Not a classic, but I highly recommend it if you want a good old cry. A Maud rating of 4 out of 5.

Given the fact that GOODBYE AGAIN (based on a novel by Francoise Sagan) is very thin material indeed, it's a wonder that INGRID BERGMAN fits so comfortably in the role of a mature (but still lovely) woman who has a young man adoring her (ANTHONY PERKINS) despite the obvious age difference.

Perkins gives a rather skittish performance as the rich and admittedly spoiled playboy who casts loving looks at Bergman from the moment they meet. YVES MONTAND is charming as the heavily accented Frenchman who also has romantic designs on Bergman and their scenes together have a bit more conviction than those involving Bergman and Perkins.

If this had been filmed in the '40s, it would have been labeled a "woman's film", the sort of weepie that kept devotees of Barbara Stanwyck and Joan Crawford happy. It's a silky smooth "weeper", a bittersweet tale of an ill-fated affair between a much older, more experienced woman and a playful young man. As such, it no doubt appealed to the fantasies of many women, but it does seem a strange choice of material for director Anatole Litvak to pursue, given his reputation for filming some grim melodramas in his time.

The one note theme of the film--falling in love with the wrong person at the wrong time--becomes a bit tiresome before the first hour is over. In short, the story drags rather than moves forward despite the quality of the acting.

Highly recommended for fans of Ingrid Bergman who want to see her looking beautiful in her mid-forties wearing a number of flattering Christian Dior outfits. Otherwise, it tends to try the patience of the average male viewer with its appeal largely directed at women.

It amazes me to find out that Anthony Perkins won the Cannes Film Festival Best Actor award for his skittish, petulant performance as Philip, the aimless, lovestruck "younger man" in this 1961 Paris-set soap opera about a May-September romance with Paula, a successful, fortyish interior decorator ensnared in a going-nowhere relationship with Roget, an age-appropriate transportation businessman who has casual affairs with young women he dubs impersonally as "Maisie". Naturally, Roget takes Paula for granted, which leaves her vulnerable to Philip's flirtatious advances. However, Perkins is an actor intractably tethered to his definitive role as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho", and unfortunately in his first follow-up film, he emits such a creepy, obsessive tone that makes you fear more for Paula's life than her heart.

On the upside is Ingrid Bergman's textured performance as Paula, and her mature beauty seems to reflect perfectly her saturnine situation. She is believably matched with Yves Montand as Roget in a performance that seems to echo his real-life situation with wife Simone Signoret when he embarked on a well-publicized affair with Marilyn Monroe the year before. Jesse Royce Landis shows up in her typical role as a pompous society matron, this time Philip's cheapskate mother, while Diahann Carroll shows up in a disposable cameo as a world-weary jazz chanteuse. Director Anatole Litvak paces the film a bit too leisurely and adds some silly but amusing touches like Paula's delusion of rain as she drives during a crying jag, but he creatively uses a circular structure to his plot by beginning and ending the film with almost the same scene. Adapting Francoise Sagan's "Aimez-vous Brahms?", screenwriter Samuel Taylor lends the sort of wry observations he contributed to his scripts for "Sabrina" and "Vertigo". As of March 2008, this film is not available on DVD.

I've only just read the other comments on this beautiful film. I first saw it on its release in 1961 - and nearly spent a whole week of evenings at the cinema.I was 16 I'd become a fan of Ingrid Bergman two years before this, on seeing her in "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness, which was her best film [in my opinion!]. Also then saw and loved "Indiscreet", but was bowled over by her next film -"Goodbye Again". I wish they had kept the original French title: "Aimez-Vous Brahms?". It evokes the atmosphere and meaning of the film and you don't have to be fluent in French to understand it - so why change it? Once again, Ingrid hardly seemed to be acting - she just swept you along with her character, Paula. Some people said that the film didn't work because Ingrid was 45 at the time, supposed to be 40 and looked younger. True! Her make-up artist, John O'Gorman, had to put in a suggestion of dark circles under her eyes and lines on her neck, in order to make her seem 40! All through the film I felt so much for the character of Philip [Tony Perkins], because you could understand why he fell totally in love with Ingrid . You also wondered if Roger [Yves Montand] was out of his mind, drifting around from girl to girl, when he had the most beautiful woman in the world. This was another reason why some people thought the story didn't work. But I don't care - I'll always love it! Ingrid never acts, she just IS her characters, and she always cries "for real". That's why there has never been anyone like her and there never will be. This film should be issued on DVD [as I have already suggested for "A Walk in the Spring Rain" ]. Owning the video is all right, but it deserves to be preserved for future generations on DVD, so that they can see what a GOOD film really is!!!! Mary

Ingrid Bergman stars in 1961's "Goodbye Again" along with Yves Montand, Tony Perkins and Jessie Royce Landis. The setting is Paris, and Ingrid plays Paula, a 40-year-old designer carrying on a five-year affair with Roget (Montand) that is less than satisfactory much of the time - for one thing, he is promiscuous. However, they have a codependent relationship and breaking off with him is difficult. Finally, though, she does it, turning to a younger man, Philip (Perkins), who is madly in love with her.

Based on a novel by Francoise Sagan, Ingrid Bergman does a beautiful job as Paula, playing the role with great emotion and depth and, as usual, she makes it look effortless. You can well understand why Philip would fall for her, but one has trouble understanding why Roget would want anyone else. As usual, whoever cast the film had no understanding of what an older woman finds attractive in a younger man. With perhaps two exceptions - both versions of "The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone" - the casting is terrible in these May-December romance plots where the woman is older. Someone on the board suggested Robert Redford - undoubtedly, the person who suggested him is not a casting director. Normally, the "younger man" is TOO young and/or too boyish, so it seems almost mother-son - the beautiful Linda Gray playing opposite Christopher Atkins on "Dallas" is a great example. A role like Philip requires someone younger, yes, but sexy and masculine. This is not a criticism of Tony Perkins, a fine actor, but rather how the role was cast.

Several people mentioned having a good cry over this film. I confess I had no urge to cry. I was frustrated as hell, though, that Paula could not break the cycle of codependency. Frankly, it's hard to feel sorry for people who put themselves through that type of emotional abuse - it's sad the first time, but when they continue doing it, it's annoying. Several people also used the word "independent" to describe Paula. Paula is not independent. She is codependent. My heart did go out to Philip. As for Roget - Montand was excellent, and the less said about his character, the better.

Unfortunately, men like Roget exist, and there are still women like Paula who, with a chance to make a positive change, don't. There's something about the "prize" that's just out of grasp that must be very satisfying. Kudos to Bergman for showing us the emotional price to be paid.

Smoothly done but shallow and overlong tale of a rather ordinary "May-December" romance. Yves Montand makes his basically unlikable character as likable as he can possibly be, and Anthony Perkins makes a successful effort to move away from his "Psycho" image, but I found Ingrid Bergman's performance slightly narcissistic. The film was probably designed to showcase her latter-day beauty, and to prove that she was still a dependable star. Well, she was....but they didn't have to bring along so many of her own insecurities into a movie role. (**1/2)

Francoise Sagan apparently wrote about people and personalities with whom she was familiar and had a talent for depicting them very well. It always seemed to be about upper class, shallow, and confused types, revolving on a no-win merry-go-round.

There are certainly are such people, and their relationships are as much worthy of consideration, empathy and sympathy as anyone's. The main trio in "Goodbye Again" are very much these prototypes: confused, bored and trapped. Is it any wonder they just can't seem to get their lives together?

For me, this is a sad film, given superlative treatment in all departments. Brahms' rich melodies are embroidered by George Auric's sensitive original score. Armond Thirard's black and white photography is beautifully atmospheric. Samuel Taylor's screenplay is true to Sagan's original novel, and Anatol Litvak's direction wraps everything up neatly.

The cast can't be bettered: the combined star-power trio of Ingrid Bergman, Anthony Perkins and Yves Montand is perfect, and these three bring great pathos to the proceedings. The level of significance of these characters may be rather inconsequential in the long run--but the emotions they themselves feel are genuine. This fine acting trio embodies these roles and the result is a most engrossing two hours.

As a reviewer said here, when we praise a movie, we overdo it, and when we diss one, we're really down on it.

But, this has to be one of the best movies Ingrid Bergman ever made. The casting in this movie was inspired. Ingrid loves Yves Montand, but he won't commit to the married life, and Montand is perfect as the man who wants both his freedom and Ingrid, who also has her freedom to date other men, but doesn't want to. "Some freedom," her maid says. Her maid is like the french equivalent of a Thelma Ritter character.

Ingrid is an interior decorator. Enter Jessie Royce Landis, who is just great as an exacting and demanding (and cheap) client of Ingrid's, who's also very rich. Enter Anthony Perkins, soon after making "Psycho," as Landis' son. He obviously falls for Ingrid, and she loves the attention, since she's unhappy with her situation.

The rest you have to see for yourself. The viewer is on a roller-coaster ride of emotions, as we feel everything Ingrid feels and even Tony, too. Miss this and you miss true actors at their best. By the way, do you like Brahms?

In Paris, matronly interior decorator Ingrid Bergman (as Paula Tessier) fears, at 40, she's getting old. Playboy businessman Yves Montand (as Roger Demarest) cancels a dinner date with Ms. Bergman. After their next engagement, Mr. Montand doesn't stay for sex with Bergman. Instead, he goes out to pick up a younger woman. Obviously, their five year affair has lost its luster. Later, Bergman meets a wealthy client's son, bubbly law student Anthony Perkins (as Philip Van der Besh). He's 25-years-old. Immediately attracted to his mom's decorator, Mr. Perkins takes Bergman for a ride in his fast sports car and invites her to lunch...

Produced and directed by Anatole Litvak, "Goodbye Again" features a trio of stars who certainly looked better on paper. We don't see much for Bergman to find attractive in either Perkins or Montand. Frankly, Bergman isn't especially attractive to either man, either. There is little passion in either pairing. Bergman is morbid. Perkins too silly. Montand seems disinterested even in the sexpots that appear in his bed. Other than having the younger heads popping in front of the camera, Mr. Litvak's dance scene near the end looks good. He uses automobiles to parallel his characters; at one point, Bergman's tears cover her car's windshield.

**** Goodbye Again (5/61) Anatole Litvak ~ Ingrid Bergman, Anthony Perkins, Yves Montand, Jessie Royce Landis

I really enjoyed this film, set in Paris in 1961 and based on a book by French writer Francoise Sagan. Ingrid Bergman was excellent as the leading lady torn between her unfaithful partner and a much younger man who falls head over heels in love with her. I wanted to see how French actor Yves Montand faired speaking in English. I must confess that Anthony Perkins name rang a bell when I read it in the newspaper, but it wasn't till I saw him on the screen I realized who he was. I couldn't help wondering how and if this film was accepted in the United States at the time. If you choose to see this film have some Kleenex ready.