I am an unabashed fan of Mr. Leconte. In fact, I have never seen a bad film from this director. Every film of his is completely unlike the others, and yet they all have his unmistakable stamp.<br /><br />Rue des Plaisirs takes its sweet time setting its story up, but it all moves very quickly, pace-wise, and the simplicity and beauty of the images is wonderful, and the little fable is ultimately very touching. Mr. Leconte rarely overstays his welcome - his films have reasonable running times and they say what they have to say and then they're done. If you don't know this director, you should seek out his films, especially Monseiur Hire, Intimate Strangers, The Widow of St. Pierre, Ridicule, and the great 1 Chance Sur Doux, with Belmondo, Delon, and Vanessa Paradis.