Along the coast: North.

To recover from " Muriel "and Boulogne, travel North and stop shortly before the Belgian border for a weekend at Zuydcoote : " Un weekend à Zuydcoote " (1964).

This is a mediocre film but, after " Muriel ", a mediocre film is great news : WW2 tale of French private -Jean-Paul Belmondo- shelled on the beach by German troops while French and British retreating armies are praying for boats to England may entertain like a screwball comedy.

War : sure ; love : as required by the box-office ; memory : " Verneuil... can't remember a good movie he made... " Two minutes longer than " Muriel ", " Weekend at Zuiydcoote " proves the subjective nature of time.

Film is an adaptation of Robert Merle's eponymous novel and 1949 French Prix Goncourt, and one of the more watchable efforts by Henri Verneuil.

Filmmaker provides the ideal antidote to Alain Resnais : a champion of " US-style French cinema " and a vocal opponent of " théorie des auteurs ", his lack of talent is equally unable to bore you to death and offer you a memorable film experience.

Verneuil films can safely be watched without paying attention : nothing of more than passing interest is expected to happen on screen, even accidentally.

Some people like their steaks overcooked, Verneuil likes his cinema bland and tasteless. He died in 2002 : expect him to be soon rediscovered (even possibly at this address).