An Almost Perfect Affair

An Almost Perfect Affair

Year: 1979

Runtime: 91 mins

Language: English

ComedyDramaRomance

An idealistic debut director, driven solely by his art, encounters the wife of an Italian producer during the Cannes Film Festival. Their intense affair ignites, but as they chase fame and fortune, the couple’s romance is strained by jealousy, ambition and the seductive lure of success.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – An Almost Perfect Affair (1979)

Explore the full timeline and setting of An Almost Perfect Affair (1979). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Cannes, Nice, Paris

The story unfolds along the French Riviera, centering on Cannes and Nice during the Cannes Film Festival. The area is renowned for glamorous festival season, luxury hotels, beaches, and celebrity sightings. Key scenes take place around the Carlton Hotel, the Palm Beach casino, and a Barone family yacht, highlighting the opulent festival atmosphere.

🏖️ French Riviera 🏛️ Film festival hubs 🚢 Coastal towns

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:33

Main Characters – An Almost Perfect Affair (1979)

Meet the key characters of An Almost Perfect Affair (1979), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Hal Raymond (Keith Carradine)

A young, idealistic filmmaker fresh from film school, Hal is driven to make his mark with a controversial project. He is passionate about his art but often naïve about industry gatekeepers, and his romance with Maria reveals a vulnerability beneath his ambition.

🎬 Director 🧭 Determination 💡 Ambition

Maria Barone (Monica Vitti)

A glamorous former actress and Freddie's wife, Maria exudes charm and social savvy. She uses her influence to push Hal's project forward while seeking genuine connection, navigating the festival's politics with wit and restraint.

💃 Socialite 🎭 Actress 💎 Glamour

Freddie Barone (Raf Vallone)

A powerful Italian film producer with a taste for prestige, Freddie wields significant influence over festival publicity and negotiations. He is sophisticated and protective of his wife, complicating Hal's ambitions and Maria's desires.

💼 Producer 🎩 High Society 💫 Power

Lt. Montand (Henri Garcin)

A stern customs officer who delays Hal's film by enforcing bureaucratic rules until clearance is granted. He represents institutional gatekeeping, testing Hal's patience and resolve.

🛂 Bureaucracy 🗝️ Gatekeeping 🧭 Decision

Andrew Jackson (Self)

A sardonic director-producer in town to publicize his own blaxploitation film. He serves as a foil to Hal's earnestness, highlighting the pressures of festival publicity and personal ambition.

🎭 Industry Insider 💬 Publicity 🧨 Provocation

Monte Hellman (Monte Hellman)

A cameo by the director playing himself at the Cannes Film Festival, adding meta-commentary on the filmmaking world and the festival circuit.

🎬 Director 🗺️ Meta ⭐ Fame

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:33

Major Themes – An Almost Perfect Affair (1979)

Explore the central themes of An Almost Perfect Affair (1979), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

❤️ Love vs Career

Hal's devotion to Maria pits personal longing against the pressures of his fledgling film project. Maria negotiates the festival's social web, showing how relationships can be leveraged for influence. The arc explores how romance can conflict with professional ambition in a world ruled by publicity.

🎬 Censorship

The reels are held up by officials until the censor approves, illustrating gatekeeping over artistic work. Publicists and producers manipulate promotion and titles to maximize appeal, blurring the line between art and marketing. The censor's screening becomes a crucial test for Hal's integrity and vision.

🛥️ Glamour

The Cannes milieu is saturated with luxury, yachts, and high-society parties, painting a picture of celebrity culture at its brightest. Characters maneuver through wealth and influence, where reputation can trump talent. The setting underscores both the allure and costs of living in the festival spotlight.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:33

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Movies about glamorous tragic romance like An Almost Perfect Affair

Passionate affairs in luxurious settings that end in romantic disillusionment.Find movies like An Almost Perfect Affair that explore passionate, high-stakes affairs in glamorous worlds. If you enjoyed the mix of romantic passion, jealousy, and the high costs of ambition against a luxurious Cannes backdrop, these films offer a similar bittersweet experience.

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Narrative Summary

These stories typically follow a whirlwind romance that begins with intense attraction and a glamorous, often escapist, setting. The central conflict arises from the clash between personal desire and professional ambition, societal expectations, or simple incompatibility. The narrative arc charts the rise and inevitable fall of the relationship, culminating in a poignant ending where love is lost but a lesson is learned.

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Movies about the conflict between art and love like An Almost Perfect Affair

Stories about creators torn between their artistic ambition and a consuming romance.Discover films similar to An Almost Perfect Affair where the central drama is the tension between artistic ambition and romantic love. If you liked seeing a filmmaker's passion for his craft clash with his desire for a fulfilling relationship, these movies explore that same poignant struggle.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern follows a dedicated artist who falls in love. The relationship thrives until the demands of their creative ambition—the pursuit of fame, the need for solitude, or sheer obsession—create an irreconcilable rift. The story is a character study of this internal conflict, often concluding with a sacrifice where one passion must be chosen over the other.

Why These Movies?

These films share a core thematic focus on the cost of creation. They examine whether true art requires personal sacrifice and how love can be both a muse and a distraction. The emotional journey is defined by frustration, difficult choices, and the specific melancholy of gaining professional success at the expense of personal happiness.

Unlock the Full Story of An Almost Perfect Affair

Don't stop at just watching — explore An Almost Perfect Affair in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what An Almost Perfect Affair is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

An Almost Perfect Affair Summary

Read a complete plot summary of An Almost Perfect Affair, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

An Almost Perfect Affair Summary

An Almost Perfect Affair Timeline

Track the full timeline of An Almost Perfect Affair with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

An Almost Perfect Affair Timeline

An Almost Perfect Affair Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of An Almost Perfect Affair that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

An Almost Perfect Affair Spoiler-Free Summary

More About An Almost Perfect Affair

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