Ravissante (1960) - film review

Maurice is in love with Evelyn, the wife of a friend.  When, after an evening out, Evelyn spurns his advances, Maurice decides to take his revenge.  He asks an old friend, Thierry, an airline pilot and born womaniser, to seduce Evelyn and then ditch her, to give her a taste of her own medicine.  Maurice arranges a meeting at a country inn between Thierry and Evelyn.  However, the latter fails to turn up and Thierry meets Maurice’s wife, Françoise, instead.  Suspecting her husband is being unfaithful to her, Françoise decides to string Thierry along and pretends to be Evelyn…

This engaging comedy was written and directed by Robert Lamoureux, a popular figure in French cinema of the 1950s. Not surprisingly, Lamoureux also takes a lead role in this film as the seductive Thierry.  This film may not be in the same league as the contemporary New Wave films of the early 1960s, mainly because it is allied too closely with the traditional romantic cinema of the 1950s.  However, it is a satisfying example of a light romantic comedy from this period.  There were serious tensions between the director and his cast when the film was made, but these do not show up when viewing the film.

Although this is only his third major film role, Philippe Noiret is excellent in his role as the unsuccessful Don Juan.  It is a role which affords the actor ample opportunity to develop his now familiar lugubrious comic persona.  For his part, Robert Lamoureux is on fine form, although possibly looking a little long in the tooth to be entirely convincing as the master seducer.

© James Travers 2000

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