LATE AUGUST, EARLY SEPTEMBER  (1998)  ***1/2

Reviewed 10/6/98

Olivier Assayas is one of the most interesting directors working in France today, and here, he has made a slow, carefully-crafted character study. The frequently-working Mathieu Amalric plays his usual, disheveled, confused persona trying to help his friend, a gifted writer, find work.  He's also trying to get over his ex-girlfriend who still shows interest in him while managing a relationship with his new girlfriend, played by the beautiful and quickly-growing-up Virginie Ledoyen. Ledoyen, one of the most gorgeous actresses in movies, unfortunately cannot seem to play but one role, the insolent youngster. She's good enough here, but the revelation that her character turns tricks on the side is the one of the big flaws in an otherwise very realistic film with well-developed characters. The film starts off slowly, but the payoffs are strong.