Film Review
After the success of their first collaboration,
Ce soir ou jamais (1961),
director Michel Deville and screenwriter Nina Companeez went on to make a
number of other light romantic comedies that found similar favour with French
cinema audiences.
Adorable menteuse is one of the most charming
comedies this formidable duo came up with, a gentle comedy of manners that
appears superficial but actually has more to it than first meets the eye,
and there is just a suggestion of the darker turn that Deville's subsequent
oeuvre would take. Marina Vlady and Macha Méril are a delight
to watch as the two principals, a perfect contrast that makes the most of
Companeez's gently mischievous screenplay. Deville is clearly still
learning his trade, so the mise-en-scène has none of the sophistication
that we find in his later work, but the film's lack of pretence makes it
a welcome change from the French New Wave offerings that were being foisted
on audiences around this time.
© James Travers 2016
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Next Michel Deville film:
À cause, à cause d'une femme (1963)
Film Synopsis
Adorable liar... what better way to describe Juliette, the cute little charmer
who just cannot help lying to everyone, even her sister Sophie. Lying
to men is all part of her technique of seduction, and men are so gullible,
so easily deceived that Juliette scarcely knows she is lying half of the
time. It is a mystery to her how Sophie can bear to be so honest, especially
when it is her candour that always gets her into trouble. Far better
to be a deceiver, to play the game of love as it is supposed to be played,
with charm and guile. At least, that is what Juliette used to think.
Now she has come round to a different view. Lying has begun to bore
her. When you play the same game over and over again, in exactly the
same way, you are bound to get bored with it. Juliette now longs to
play a new game, but no one will let her. Her reputation as a deceiver
sticks to her like an old petticoat that is glued to her skin. This
discovery torments her, because she has found a man, a nice 40-something
lawyer named Antoine, with whom she wants to play a different game.
For the first time in her life Juliette really does think she is in love,
but how can she convince Antoine of this when he knows he can never believe
a word that she says...?
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
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Film Credits
- Director: Michel Deville
- Script: Nina Companéez (dialogue),
Michel Deville
- Cinematographer: Claude Lecomte
- Music: Jean Dalve
- Cast: Marina Vlady (Juliette),
Macha Méril (Sophie),
Michel Vitold (Antoine),
Jean-Marc Bory (Martin),
Claude Nicot (Sebastien),
Ginette Letondal (Jacky),
Jean-Pierre Moulin (Vincent),
François Dalou (Thomas),
Michael Lonsdale (Albert),
Christian Alers (Robert - l'inconnu),
Jean-François Calvé (Simon),
Jean-Luc Adler (Dancer),
Pierre Clémenti (Pierrot),
Claude Rollet (Juliette's and Sophie's friend),
Jacques Porteret
- Country: France
- Language: French
- Support: Black and White
- Runtime: 105 min