The French film buff will surely experience a frisson when the very first line of dialogue is spoken by Simone Signoret, destined to pick up the torch from Arletty but here relegated to just one scene in her very first movie - ironically she had even less to do in Les Visiteurs du soir a couple of years later. If you saw All About Eve and recall how newcomer Monroe shared a screen with Bette Davis you'll know just what I mean. Jean Boyer is forgotten today but he was as fine a journeyman director as any and always worked well with Arletty (see: Chaleur du sein). No Arletty fan will want to miss yet another performance from the Occupation bridging the gap between Le Jour se leve and Les Visiteurs du soir and though it's a piece of fluff - Luguet is teed off at an upstairs neighbour who plays Ravel's Bolero round the clock, Arletty is Joan of Arc (in her head)and there's a fake suicide, nuff said? - I for one am more than happy to take the fluff with the smooth.
3 Reviews
See it for Arletty
kinsayder9 July 2009
A row between neighbours that begins with a noisy gramophone (playing, yes, Ravel's Boléro) escalates into a war of cruel practical jokes culminating in suicide (perhaps) and romance (certainly).
André Luguet and Denise Grey are good fun as the warring neighbours, but the main reason for watching is Arletty, who is on devilish form as a society gal with a mischievous sense of humour. As often with her best characters, there's a wry detachment about her performance, her sly smile commenting on the absurdity of the behaviour that she provokes in those around her. Her costumes, designed by Robert Piguet, are eccentric, to say the least.
Jean Boyer's direction keeps up a good pace, but there's no disguising the stagebound nature of the screenplay, adapted from a successful theatre production in which Jane Aubert played Arletty's role. Filming stage comedies was a staple of French Occupation cinema. It had the merit of being cheap, quick and uncontroversial.
Watch out for Simone Signoret in a tiny role as Denise Grey's wardrobe assistant.
André Luguet and Denise Grey are good fun as the warring neighbours, but the main reason for watching is Arletty, who is on devilish form as a society gal with a mischievous sense of humour. As often with her best characters, there's a wry detachment about her performance, her sly smile commenting on the absurdity of the behaviour that she provokes in those around her. Her costumes, designed by Robert Piguet, are eccentric, to say the least.
Jean Boyer's direction keeps up a good pace, but there's no disguising the stagebound nature of the screenplay, adapted from a successful theatre production in which Jane Aubert played Arletty's role. Filming stage comedies was a staple of French Occupation cinema. It had the merit of being cheap, quick and uncontroversial.
Watch out for Simone Signoret in a tiny role as Denise Grey's wardrobe assistant.
de Ravel
dbdumonteil30 June 2008
Like in the 1932 Raft/Lombard movie,and before Lelouch's "Les Uns et Les Autres" ,this famous piece of music was the center of a plot.So to speak.
It's filmed stage production without an audience .But Arletty's presence deserves your undivided attention ,as always:her first scene where she passes for a lunatic ,discussing architecture with a man fed up with Le Bolero de Ravel which he hears all day and all night,thanks to his neighbor,a stylist who plays it loud and on and on and on,is the best with her best line :"I'm Joan of Arc ,don't you tell me you haven't recognized me!" Another good scene involves Meg Lemonnier as Niquette who pretends she is suicidal.But halfway through the film becomes repetitive and predictable.After two unexpected twists in its first half,it is a letdown.
Arletty's numerous fans would not want to be without one of her movies made during the Occupation days .
It's filmed stage production without an audience .But Arletty's presence deserves your undivided attention ,as always:her first scene where she passes for a lunatic ,discussing architecture with a man fed up with Le Bolero de Ravel which he hears all day and all night,thanks to his neighbor,a stylist who plays it loud and on and on and on,is the best with her best line :"I'm Joan of Arc ,don't you tell me you haven't recognized me!" Another good scene involves Meg Lemonnier as Niquette who pretends she is suicidal.But halfway through the film becomes repetitive and predictable.After two unexpected twists in its first half,it is a letdown.
Arletty's numerous fans would not want to be without one of her movies made during the Occupation days .
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