gridoon2024 Review of Les Biches

Les Biches (1968)

Enigmatic, absorbing, sexy, and even funny: one of Chabrol's best

[8/10 · 7 May 2010]

"Les Biches" must be one of Claude Chabrol's sexiest movies ever. Both Stéphane Audran and Jacqueline Sassard are gorgeous women, but beyond that, the way the camera captures their bodies, their movements, their smiles, their kisses, etc. is purely erotic. They are also pretty terrific actresses. Audran fits her role like a glove, and Sassard (who sadly dropped out of acting after this film) gives a performance full of understated passion. The male lead, Jean-Louis Trintignant, is easily the least interesting and developed of the three main characters, but it doesn't matter much; the story begins and ends with the two women. Audran's two eccentric friends / freeloaders in her lavish house provide some amusing comic relief. The film is quite unpredictable in its development, in fact for a while it almost seems like everything might turn out just fine, until you remember that a) Chabrol doesn't like happy endings, b) that poisoned dagger could not have been introduced so early without a reason....Anyway, this is an absorbing, beautifully filmed psychological thriller, and I think it's also a great starting point for those still unfamiliar with Chabrol's work. *** out of 4.