Pariser Luft - Montmartre

'Cette sacree gamine' is French for 'this holy little girl'; or, to translate it better, 'this marvelous baby'.

You'll understand this points to 21-year old Brigitte Bardot. And, oh yes, in this film young Brigitte steals your heart away. The more so, while 'Cette sacree gamine' has several dancing scenes - you may know that BB was a fully educated ballet dancer.

Unfortunately the same cannot be said about this film's plot. Telling its story takes too much time, even to 1950-s standards. Its built-up, complete with dancing and slapstick, looks somewhat unbalanced. While watching you feel an urge to check your watch, wondering how long you'll have to sit this one out.

When she's on the screen, Brigette commands your attention just by being there, mock-pouting, prancing about in revealing drapery, merely pouting or casting knowing glances at whoever needs to be trapped by her charms.

The plot was the sort of thing that Doris Day films were based around, but here mixed with more farce, more energy, and less coy dialogue; there are farcical situations galore, and common sense does not apply--the viewer is either in the mood for amiable poses from a self-aware sex kitten, or not afraid of a rather convoluted plot that involves gangsters, a butler with a Buster Keaton attitude, a woman professor that claims the straying lead, or totally impromptu musical numbers that owe a good deal of filching from MGM in it's Minnelli years of glorified technicolor.

All of which to summarize: good fun with some hearty laughs and a major bonus in a young star just beginning to realize her considerable impact on viewers, a musical farce with a little romance twisted into a somewhat feeble plot.

In Paris, when the owner of the nightclub Mississippi in Pigalle Paul Latour (Bernard Lancret) is wanted by the police accused of distribution of forged dollars in his club, he asks his protégée and lead attraction of Mississippi Jean Clery (Jean Bretonniére) to protect his beloved daughter Brigitte (Brigitte Bardot). Jean is engaged of the psychoanalyst Lily (Françoise Fabian) and brings the wild and rebel Brigitte from her conservative boarding school to his fancy apartment while Paul travels to Lausanne to meet a friend to clear his name. While waiting for the return of Paul, Brigitte turns Paul's life upside down and they fall in love for each other. But the Parisian police and the counterfeit ring are chasing Brigitte, but Jean, his butler Jerome (Raymond Bussiéres) and his friends protect the girl.

"Cette Sacrée Gamine" is a delightful and naive entertaining. The predictable story is silly, uses many gags, but is supported by the adorable twenty-two year old Brigitte Bardot. This movie works first because of the beauty and charm of BB and Raymond Bussiéres is responsible for the funniest moments. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Garota Levada" ("Naughty Girl")

A red-headed 21 y/o Brigitte Bardot is completely beautiful and charming in this easygoing tale. Ms. Bardot is charming and delightful as a klutzy young lady who completely wins you over. This is not one of her better films and she plays a complete innocent in this compared to her sexier roles.

A 5 out of 10. Best performance = B. Bardot. Misha Auer is amusing as a dance choreographer. There's not a lot to recommend except for the lovely and naive Brigitte. All of her films are worth seeing, even the sillier ones such as this. It's hard to believe she made AND GOD CREATED WOMAN the same year as this. Long live BB!

Brigitte is so damn cute in this movie. And that's all that matters. But since I'm obligated to write a 10-line review, I guess I'll go ahead and bore you with my supercilious cinematic spiel. Feel free to skip the rest of the review and go watch the movie.

I was particularly surprised that France was capable of making a movie in the 50s that wasn't some desultory, experimental, existential ramble. Not that I have anything against all that, but after watching my 3rd Truffaut film and my 5th Godard film, I was ready for a breath of fresh air. And this film definitely delivered.

It's silly and mostly predictable but in the most charming way, like an old Cary Grant flick. But of course Brigitte has better legs than Cary Grant. And she can dance like a water nymph, ballet, acrobatic, provocative or hippy. Her acting style is genuine and impish much like Audrey Hepburn; however Brigitte adds a powerful sensuality to the presentation.

It helps to know French, but if not, here's what you do. Watch it once with subtitles on. Then watch it with subtitles off. The 2nd time, you'll get much more of the humour by simply watching their gestures and listening to their tones of voice. Have fun with it!