The film revolves around a love triangle between a man and two women where it plays into post-1960s ideals as well as the rise of the feminist movement in the early 1970s. It is a film that explores the dynamic of a threesome where a man tries to find his ideal partner in two different women. Jean Eustache’s screenplay does not have a conventional plot as the narrative is driven by monologues and dialogues as it relates to its three central characters in the unemployed intellectual Alexandre (Jean-Pierre Leaud), his girlfriend in Marie (Bernadette Lafont) who works a dress shop, and a sexually-liberated nurse in Veronika (Francoise Lebrun). The script plays into Alexandre going through his own issues with Marie while his attempts to reunite with his former girlfriend Gilberte (Isabelle Weingarten) were futile. While walking through the city, he notices Veronika at a café drinking as he would meet her where they would keep their affair a secret from Marie though she is suspicious that Alexandre has met someone. She would eventually meet Veronika as she is initially not fond of her but eventually realizes her worth in the film’s third function as it plays into some of the freedoms she has as a woman.
Eustache’s direction is entrancing for its minimalist approach where there are not a lot of wide shots in favor of intimacy through its medium shots, close-ups, and static shots. Shot on location in Paris, Eustache creates a film that plays into the ideas of relationships between a man and two women as there are a lot of dialogues and monologues that occur. Notably as it would go on for several minutes during the film as the camera would often remain still. Eustache’s direction would rarely have movements in the camera unless the characters are walking in the streets or to go from one room to another. The approach to long shots and a minimalist presentation with a 218-minute running time would make scenes ponderous at times since Eustache wanted to create something that feels confessional. Especially given the subject matter and the many contradictions of these characters where Alexandre is pretentious in his views on art and sex, yet he is also someone that is also traditional. He is also a manipulative person in his attempts to women where it would frustrate Marie who can see through his bullshit even though she is just as bad as him.
Editing with co-editor Denise de Casabianca, Eustache would create a presentation that is the antithesis of the editing and filmmaking style of the French New Wave for a style that is akin to realism. It is a style that also sort of plays like a documentary even though it is fiction, yet Eustache does play into the sexual politics between men and women in how they view each other. Eustache also maintains a sense of ambiguity in its finale as it relates to Alexandre and his view on women where he still has a lot to learn about love, commitment, and understanding. Even though both Marie and Veronika are also flawed in their own views about sex and love, they manage it better than Alexandre who is full of contradictions. Overall, Eustache creates a compelling and unsettling film about a love triangle that becomes toxic.
Cinematographer Pierre Lhomme does brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white photography with its emphasis on realism in shooting on available light for some of the exterior scenes set at night as well as the way some of the daytime interior/exterior scenes are presented. Costume designer Catherine Garnier does excellent work with the costumes from the stylish clothing that Marie and Veronika wear to contrast their personalities with the latter often wearing all black. The sound work of Jean-Pierre Ruh, Paul Laine, and Nara Kollery do amazing work with the sound as it captures everything presented on location including the music that is played on film. Among the music that is played on the film ranging from classical music, pop, and rock from acts like Zarah Leander, Damia, Jacques Offenbach, Edith Piaf, Frehel, Marlene Dietrich, and Deep Purple with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
The film’s marvelous ensemble cast feature some notable small and appearances from Jean Eustache as a man at a supermarket/Gilberte’s husband, Andre Techine and Jean-Claude Biette as a couple of men at a restaurant wanting to talk with Veronika, Genevieve Mnich as a friend of Veronika, Jean-Noel Picq as a fan of the composer Offenbach that Alexandre meets, Jacques Renard as a friend of Alexandre who shares the same intellectual views as Alexandre, and Isabelle Weingarten as a former girlfriend of Alexandre in Gilberte who is upset over Alexandre’s lack of commitment in their relationship. Francoise Lebrun is great as Veronika as a French-Polish nurse who is also sexually-open in her ideas of sex to cope with avoiding commitment until her affair with Alexandre has her thinking about wanting a relationship with him and Marie until she sees the many faults from Alexandre’s views on love.
Bernadette Lafont is phenomenal as Marie as a dress shop worker who allows Alexandre to live with her as she has a cynical view on relationships though she loves Alexandre while later becoming fond of Veronika in her openness in realizing Alexandre’s own faults. Finally, there’s Jean-Pierre Leaud in a tremendous performance as Alexandre as an unemployed intellectual who is in love with two different women where he is hoping to win them over with his own views only to be filled with contradictions about everything to the point that his attempts to manipulate his lovers become futile.
Le maman et la putain is an incredible film by Jean Eustache that features a trio of great performances from Jean-Pierre Leaud, Bernadette Lafont, and Francoise Lebrun. Along with its visuals, realistic and minimalistic presentation, and its study of sexual politics and desires in early 1970s France. The film is not an easy watch due to a presentation that requires patience as well as the fact that it goes into uncomfortable subject matters about sex and love. In the end, Le maman et la putain is a remarkable film by Jean Eustache.
© thevoid99 2025
Based on the novel by Henry Farrell, Une belle fille comme moi (Such a Gorgeous Kid Like Me) is the story of a woman who tells a young sociologist about her love affairs and how she was accused of murder which led to her incarceration. Directed by Francois Truffaut and screenplay by Truffaut and Jean-Loup Dabadie, the film is a look into a man who falls for a woman whose stories and claims of being innocent has him lose sight of what she really is. Starring Bernadette Lafont, Claude Brasseur, Charles Denner, Guy Marchand, and Andre Dussollier. Une belle fille comme moi is a zany yet very funny film from Francois Truffaut.
The film is about this woman who tells her story to a young sociologist professor who is doing research for a thesis on criminal women. There, the professor falls in love with this woman as he believes that she is innocent though others believe that she isn’t as he does whatever she can to prove her innocence. It’s a film where its simple premise is presented in the form of a black comedy where the lead character of Camille Bliss (Bernadette Lafont) is really a woman who uses her sexuality and charm to get what she wants where the young professor Stanislas Previne (Andre Dussollier) becomes blinded by her as he does whatever to get her out of prison. Yet, he is unaware that there’s more to Camille’s story about all of the things that has happened to her.
The film’s screenplay has a back-and-forth structure though it starts with a scene where a woman asks a librarian about the thesis that Previne was supposed to publish. It then leads to the main story that happened one year before where Previne interviews Bliss for this thesis as he is amazed by all of these claims she’s made while the stuff that actually happened revealed that Bliss is really a woman who can use her sex appeal to cause trouble. Even as the victims she include are an idiotic mama’s boy, a lounge singer, an attorney, and a good-hearted exterminator who are wowed by her charm. It has a back-and-forth narrative of Bliss telling her story to Previne as well as the events of what really happened where Previne would have his secretary Helen (Anne Kreis) write things down though she really knows that Bliss is a manipulative slut.
Francois Truffaut’s direction is pretty simple in the way he presents the interrogations as well as the scenes involving Bliss and her schemes. Much of it involves some close-up and medium shots where it plays to the intimacy of the interrogations as well as some of the light-hearted moments in the schemes and misadventures of Bliss and her many lovers. Some of it features moments such as Bliss talking about her life as a child where her father kicks her in the ass as the young Bliss flies into a heap of hay. There’s also moments where the comedy is very out there but also with some dark moments to play into the suspense. Especially in the third act where it would climax with Previne trying to prove Bliss’ innocence where it would play into a sense of absurdity and dark humor. Overall, Truffaut creates a very lively and witty film about a sociologist professor who falls in love with a dirty slut.
Cinematographer Pierre-William Glenn does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from its colorful look of the saloon that Bliss worked at as well as some of the exteriors in some of the small-town locations in France. Editors Martine Barraque and Yann Dedet do terrific work with the editing from its approach to rhythms for much of the film‘s humor as well as some of the film‘s suspense. Production designer Jean-Pierre Kohut-Svelko does nice work with the set pieces from the look of the interrogation room as well as the saloon where Bliss worked at.
Costume designer Monique Dury does fantastic work with the stylish dresses that Camille Bliss wears in many of the film‘s flashbacks that presents her quirky personality. The sound work of Rene Levert does superb work with the sound from the way some of the records that are played being heard to some of the sounds in the film‘s locations. The film’s music by Georges Delerue is amazing for its mixture of somber orchestral pieces to more upbeat themes that is largely led by the banjo as it’s an instrument that Bliss loves to play.
The film’s brilliant cast includes some notable small roles from Martine Ferriere as a prison secretary, Jacob Weizbluth as a mute musician at the saloon, Jerome Zucca as an amateur filmmaker who provides the key to Camille’s fate, Gaston Ouvrard as an old prison warder, and Daniele Girard as the wife of the lounge singer who despises Camille. Philippe Leotard is terrific as the very dim-witted mama’s boy Clovis with Gilberte Geniat as his very suspicious mother. Claude Brasseur is excellent as the lawyer who falls for Camille as he creates some trouble for her while Guy Marchand is superb as the lounge singer Sam Golden who finds a muse in Camille only to get into a lot of trouble.
Charles Denner is fantastic as the exterminator Arthur who falls for Camille while dealing with his own sense of morality over the things that Camille does. Anne Kreis is wonderful as Previne’s secretary who analyzes everything Previne has taped as she is very suspicious about Camille. Andre Dussollier is amazing as the sociology professor Stanislas Previne as a man who becomes infatuated by Camille as he loses all insight of professionalism where he tries to get Camille free from prison. Finally, there’s Bernadette Lafont in a remarkable performance as Camille Bliss as this very mischievous and manipulative woman who uses her sex appeal to get what she wants while proving to be a very creative storyteller as she tries to maintain her innocence though she is really guilty for her actions as it’s a role that is just so fun to watch.
Une belle fille comme moi is a marvelous film from Francois Truffaut that features a very entertaining performance from Bernadette Lafont. The film isn’t just one of Truffaut’s more accessible films but also one of his funniest for the way he allows a woman to outsmart the men she meets and get them to cause trouble. In the end, Une belle fille comme moi is a hilarious film from Francois Truffaut.
Francois Truffaut Films: The 400 Blows - Shoot the Piano Player - Jules & Jim - Antoine & Colette - The Soft Skin - Fahrenheit 451 - The Bride Wore Black - Stolen Kisses - Mississippi Mermaid - The Wild Child - Bed and Board - Two English Girls - Day for Night - The Story of Adele H. - Small Change - The Man Who Loved Women - The Green Room - Love on the Run - The Last Metro - The Woman Next Door - Confidentially Yours
The Auteur #40: Francois Truffaut (Pt. 1) - (Pt. 2)
© thevoid99 2014
