Film Review
This is a good-humoured romantic comedy - often veering towards farce - which takes a
light-hearted swipe at bourgeois attitudes and, to some extent, male chauvinism.
This is not by any stretch of the imagination an intellectual film, and the comic situations
are often too contrived and pantomimesque to be wholly believable. However, there
are some memorable comic performances and the script is relentlessly funny, making the
ensemble both rewarding and entertaining.
The film succeeds mainly because it plays on the strengths of its lead actress, Brigitte
Bardot. In her early films, Bardot manages to convey an impression of hapless naivety
and vulnerability which - whilst making her obvious prey for exploitative directors and
film producers - gives substance to her performances.
© James Travers 2000
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Next Marc Allégret film:
Sois belle et tais-toi (1958)
Film Synopsis
Agnès, a young woman living in the tranquil spa town of Vichy, finds
herself in deep trouble when she publishes a scandalous novel. The
book so offends the girl's father, a respected military man, that he immediately
decides to send her off to a convent. Having no inclination for the
life of a nun, Agnès thwarts her father's plans and escapes to Paris
by train. Safe in the capital, she soon meets up with her brother Hubert
and is convinced that the Musée Balzac where he works as a guard is
his private residence. Unable to reveal the truth about his present humble
status, Hubert has let his family believe that he is a successful painter.
Desperately short of funds, Agnès steals one of the rare books from
the museum and sells it for some ready cash. When it dawns on
her what she has done, the impetuous young woman decides at once to go out
and raise the money so that she can buy back this valuable piece of French
heritage. To this end, she enters a striptease competition, but modesty
forces her to wear a mask throughout the entire proceedings. Watching
the contest is a journalist, Daniel Roy, whom Agnès met previously,
just after her arrival in the capital. Not recognising this stunning
example of female pulchritude, Daniel becomes overcome by lust. As
he continues seeing Agnès, the journalist sets out to discover the
identity of the mysterious striptease artist, not knowing that the two women
are in fact one in the same person...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.