Lesser Becker, still worthwhile. Dead at 53 in 1960, with just over a dozen mature features on his C.V., even minor work from French writer/director Jacques Becker too precious to miss. Like this charming Rom-Com (even Sit-Com at times), a near companion to ANTOINE ET ANTOINETTE/’47, if not its equal, with Becker raising social status from struggling pink-collar workers amid post-war Parisian shortages (and loads of real Paris street locations) to ‘50s surplus on but two interior studio sets for Anne Vernon, stay-at-home wife to Daniel Gélin’s as yet unheralded concert pianist husband. She comes from money/he’s got a chip on his shoulder about it; and tonight their differences rise to the boil as her wealthy Uncle gives a fancy party to introduce Gélin to society types who can make his name. It leaves him even more resentful and her faded evening dress looking even more painfully dated. All very French, very ‘50s in social attitude & sexual politics: ‘comic’ marital blows; women at the party on the lookout for modest affairs; Vernon’s sleek cousin crushing on her. (Vernon worth the crush. Gélin, known from Hitchcock’s MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, a sort of handsome French Dustin Hoffman type.) With story beats that zig just where you expect a zag: Vernon taking shears to her dated gown, doesn’t make tatters (a la Lucille Ball), but couture; Gélin throwing a tantrum not from a ruined dress but from fashion blindness. Drinking at the party, surely he’ll ruin his big chance. Nope, if anything, he plays better.* Rich ‘Ugly’ American husband of society lady at the party, she’s got the wandering eye, he turns out to be a pretty upstanding guy, speaking horrible, but ‘correct’ French, and winding up as the film’s wise fairy godfather. Becker isn’t as connected to this crowd as in ANTOINE (a bit broad in tone & detail), but the faults do little to harm to film’s charm.
ATTENTION MUST BE PAID: *And why not, that’s Ravel-specialist Samson François (here playing Chopin) on the soundtrack to Gélin’s rather casual keyboard contact.
DOUBLE-BILL/LINK: Naturally ANTOINE ET ANTOINETTE. OR: Becker’s next, CASQUE D’OR/’52, his masterpiece. https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2020/08/antoine-et-antoinette-1947.html https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2008/05/casque-dor-1952.html
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