Should I ashamed or proud that what actually motivated to finally catch up with Eric Rohmer’s funny, touching, and subtly haunting Chloe in the Afternoon because I wanted to view Chris Rock’s I Think I Love My Wife (co-written by the almost equally funny stand-up Louis C.K.) in an educated way, especially since that movie bombed pretty miserably and (to borrow from a joke by Mark Evanier) has apparently been selected by AFI to be transferred onto ultra-flammable nitrate film stock. I still want to see it, if I’m ever allowed to. I think Rock is funny. I even liked Head of State (someone had to!). So sue me, Jim Emerson.

Anyhow, do I really need any excuse to post some screen captures from Rohmer’s lovely film, shot by Nestor Alemendros? If so, I’m without them.

I should, however, include a warning to avoid the horribly muddy Fox/Lorber DVD at all costs and do whatever it takes to get a hold of the Criterion edition, which uses the more accurate translation of the original French title, Love in the Afternoon. As any film geek knows, this title courts confusion because it’s the same as the Billy Wilder Lubitsch homage of the same title starring Audrey Hepburn and Gary Cooper. (Which I haven’t seen yet, probably because Coop and A. Hepburn just don’t live in the same universe, as far as I can tell.)

So, I repeat — if you’re renting from Netflix or the FtY pals at Greencine, be sure you’re getting the right one — that’s the Critierion Love in the Afternoon — or you these pretty, pretty pictures won’t look any better than a VHS copy of Porky’s. Vous et been warned.