Smiles of a Summer Night

Smiles of a Summer Night [Sommarnattens leende] (Criterion #237). 1955 Svensk Filmindustri & Janus Films.
Starring: Ulla Jacobsson, Eva Dahlbeck, Harriet Andersson, Margit Carlqvist, Gunnar Bjornstrand, Bibi Andersson
Director: Ingmar Bergman
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This movie was Ingmar Bergman's international breakthrough. He would follow this one up in 1957 with The Seventh Seal.

Fredrik Egerman (Bjornstrand) is a successful lawyer who is married to a young wife named Anne (Jacobsson), who is nineteen years old, and still a virgin. Egerman has an adult son named Henrik (Bjorn Bjelvenstam) from a previous marriage who is preparing for life as a priest (celibacy). But, Henrik is also attracted to Anne. Fredrik also employs a maid named Petra (Harriet Andersson), whose up front approach to sexuality also causes problems for Henrik.

One night at the theater, Fredrik and Anne go to the theater and see a performance by a former mistress of Fredrik, Desiree Armfeldt (Dahlbeck), who directs much of her performace towards Fredrik, to Anne's chagrin. He visits her in the middle of the night, but when Desiree's current lover arrives shortly after, Fredrik beats a hasty retreat while wearing one of his nightshirts (he had fallen into a puddle upon arrival).

Desiree's mother invites these folks, and several others to spend a weekend in the country at her house, and it would probably lead to all of the right couples pairing up, right? Not quite!

This is a decent romantic comedy from one of the greatest directors of all time. Highly recommended!