Un drôle de dimanche (1958)
Directed by Marc Allégret

Film Review

This highly entertaining sentimental comedy provides a veritable conflux for some of the finest talent in French cinema, which includes Bourvil, Arletty, Danielle Darrieux and Jean-Paul Belmondo. All four actors are on fine form and the film itself is a pleasing mélange of drama and comedy, sometimes intensely poignant, sometimes outrageously funny, overall and engaging and uplifting piece of cinema.

Although Bourvil is better known as a comic actor, this film allows him ample opportunity to show his worth as a serious actor.  Some of his scenes in this film have a heart-wrenching poignancy which makes watching this film a particularly rewarding experience.  Danielle Darrieux is equally captivating, and her talent as a singer as well as a great actress is put to good use. The icing on the cake is Arletty, a one-time legend of French cinema, who, radiant as ever, manages to turn in an eye-catching performance as the eccentric Madame Harmier.

The film also features a sparkling young débutant, Jean-Paul Belmondo, in his first substantial film role.  This is an actor who would achieve stardom a year later for his part in Jean-Luc Godard's landmark film A bout de souffle.  Subsequently, he would become one of the icons of French cinema, one of the most successful and popular actors of his generation.  Belmondo's performance in this film caught the eye of a number of film critics, including Godard himself, who wrote in his critique of the film that Belmondo was likely to become the next Jules Berry or Michel Simon.

Film Synopsis

Five years after his wife Catherine left him, Jean Brévent, a copyrighter on a Paris newspaper, still cannot fathom what went wrong with his marriage.  After a chance encounter on a bus, he feels impelled to follow his ex-wife without her knowing, and as he does so he recalls their shared history.  He remembers their first meeting after the war, their life together in Paris, and then their inexplicable separation.  As Jean continues trailing Catherine he is shocked to find she is seeing one of his old friends.  This discovery so angers him that he immediately resolves to take his revenge.  Posing as his boss, Jean leads Catherine to think that he is now a man of substance, the headman on a leading Parisian newspaper.

Pleased that - contrary to her expectations - Jean has managed to make a success of his life, Catherine accepts his invitation to spend the following Sunday at his private residence in the country, where they will finally settle the small matter of their divorce.   The residence in question is willingly supplied by Jean's landlady Madame Harmier, who has always had a soft spot for him.  When it dawns on her that Jean intends luring Catherine to her house with the intention of killing her, Madame Harmier feels she must intervene.  Accompanied by her daughter and the latter's boyfriend Patrick she keeps Jean well within her sights, determined that the crime will not take place.  Catherine soon realises what Jean has in mind for her and offers no resistance when he finally makes his move...