Ravissante (1960)
Directed by Robert Lamoureux

Film Review

This engaging comedy was written and directed by Robert Lamoureux, a popular figure in French cinema of the 1950s. Not surprisingly, Lamoureux also takes a lead role in this film as the seductive Thierry.  This film may not be in the same league as the contemporary New Wave films of the early 1960s, mainly because it is allied too closely with the traditional romantic cinema of the 1950s.  However, it is a satisfying example of a light romantic comedy from this period.  There were serious tensions between the director and his cast when the film was made, but these do not show up when viewing the film.

Although this is only his third major film role, Philippe Noiret is excellent in his role as the unsuccessful Don Juan.  It is a role which affords the actor ample opportunity to develop his now familiar lugubrious comic persona.  For his part, Robert Lamoureux is on fine form, although possibly looking a little long in the tooth to be entirely convincing as the master seducer.

Film Synopsis

Maurice, a music publisher, has fallen in love with the beautiful Evelyne.  There are just two problems with this.  First, Maurice is already married - to Françoise.  Second, Evelyne is married to Marc, who happens to be one of Maurice's best friends and also a client.  Undeterred by these minor obstacles to his lustful intent, Maurice takes advantage of his wife's absence to invite Evelyne out for a night on the town.  After wining and dining this lovely creature the publisher is far from pleased when, at the crucial moment, she tells him point blank that he is definitely not her sort and takes her leave.  Maurice's pride isn't helped when, the next day, Marc appears fully cognizant of his attempt to seduce his wife and finds the whole matter highly amusing.

Determined to have his revenge, Maurice enlists the help of an old friend, Thierry, an airline pilot and inveterate womaniser who readily agrees to his plan to get Evelyne to fall in love with him and then dump her.  Maurice arranges for the meeting to take place at a cosy hostelry in Chantilly, but Evelyne fails to show up and Thierry mistakes his friend's wife Françoise for the woman he is supposed to meet.  Françoise, who had been expecting to catch her unfaithful husband in the act of dining with one of his floozies, is charmed by the handsome pilot and allows him to think she is Evelyne.  Maurice realises too late that his scheme has badly backfired. All he has achieved is to push his wife into the arms of a serial philanderer...