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Monday, October 18, 2010

UN PEU DE SOLEIL DANS L’EAU FROIDE / A FEW HOURS OF SUNLIGHT (1971)

The inexplicable popularity of Claude Lelouche’s A MAN AND A WOMAN/’66 opened the floodgates for a species of photogenic French romantic drek like this dreary adaptation of a Francoise Sagan novel. Marc Porel is the handsome young fellow who's so depressed, it's making him impotent. (Or is it vice versa?) But he's cured by a declaration of unconditional love and tosses out Barbara Bach (and her purple sweatpants) for the invigorating passions of his new love, Claudine Auger. She leaves her husband, family & friends for this guy and he shows his renewed bliss by gamboling about with flocks of sheep. (He really did lose the impotence!) It’s all too hot not to cool down, but nothing can stop Michel Legrand’s dewy Love Theme from droning on & on until we beg for mercy. (Get the 45rpm single! Side A - Orchestral; Side B - Vocal Arrangement.) Hard to believe this was scripted by Buñuel collaborator Jean-Claude Carrière.

SCREWY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Look for a young & hungry Gérard Depardieu as Auger’s kid brother. Well, maybe not so hungry. He must have been ploughing through the catering truck as he’s popping out of his wardrobe.

WATCH THIS, NOT THAT: For a great Francoise Sagan pic, try Otto Preminger's remarkable BONJOUR TRISTESSE/58 with great perfs & astonishing lensing from Georges Périnal.

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