Friday, November 18, 2016

Movie review - "Plucking the Daisy" (1956) **

Brigitte Bardot became known as a sexpot but she was also a vivacious comedienne - bright, lively, full of spirit. As a star she's served reasonably well by this screwball comedy (co written by Roger Vadim), which seems to borrow from a whole bunch of Hollywood movies, many of them written by Norman Krasna: she writes a novel under a pseudonym (a concept strong enough for a film but they throw it away), her brother pretends to be a success in the city but is actually just a tour guide,  she's a sripper but hides her face, she hides her stripping from her boyfriend, a journalist (Daniel Gelin).

Bardot is the best thing about this movie - she's cute, fun, endearing, and (don't laugh) seems a bit innocent. Gelin isn't much but then his character is awful - a lecherous womaniser we are meant to like; his best mate photographer also grates, they are so into women it's like they are covering something up.

Later Bond girl Luciana Paluzzi pops up in a small role. The script is full of bright ideas but doesn't seem to know how to use them - the character of the father, the concept of the convent, etc. There is some nudity too - bare boobs and butts - which surprised me; not from Bardot, but the other contestants. It is lively enough.

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