ðə bˈɔstən ɹᵻvjˈuː sˈɛd "ðɪ ˈɔːɾʌm tˈeɪl... aʊtʃˈaɪnz ɪts tˈeɪlz ʌv fˈoːɹ sˈiːzənz pɹˈɛdᵻsˌɛsɚz....θɹuːˈaʊt ðɪs fˈɪlm wˈʌn sˈɛnsᵻz ðæt bˈoʊθ ðə kˈæɹɪktɚz ænd ðɪ ˈɔːdiəns ɑːɹ ɪnðə hˈændz əvə ɡɹˈeɪt saɪkˈɑːlədʒˌɪst ɪf wˈʌn nˈuː mˈoːɹ ɐbˌaʊt ðə ɹˈoʊn vˈæli, ɪts ˈoʊld tˈaʊnz ænd ɪts nˈuː fˈæktɚɹiz, wˈʌn wʊd ɐpɹˈiːʃɪˌeɪt ˈiːvən mˈoːɹ hˌaʊ ɹˈoʊmɚz wˈɪmɪn ɑːɹ sˈuːɾᵻd tə ðɛɹ lˈoʊkəl sˈoʊʃəl ɹɪˈælᵻɾi, wˌɪtʃ ɪz fˈɪlmd æz kˈɛɹfəli æz ðeɪ ɑːɹ.
The Boston Review said "The Autumn Tale... outshines its [Tales of Four Seasons] predecessors....Throughout this film one senses that both the characters and the audience are in the hands of a great psychologist–if one knew more about the Rhône Valley, its old towns and its new factories, one would appreciate even more how Rohmer's women are suited to their local social reality, which is filmed as carefully as they are.