Catherine et Cie

A naive but promiscuous British woman (Jane Birkin) comes to Paris to work as a cook, and basically has to resort to prostitution just to have a bed to sleep in. But she eventually manages to turn the tables on all the French lotharios she meets when she "incorporates" her, um, services.

This would be an irredeemably stupid sex comedy without the presence of Jane Birkin. She is so sexy and so frequently naked or clad in impossibly short mini-skirts that, I have to confess, my critical judgment was completely scrambled (not that I have that much to begin with). She also proves a pretty decent comedienne, playing a character who makes Emanuelle Arsan or Erica Jong seem like Queen Victoria. Of course, one poor guy (who later becomes her "accountant") she will only sleep with in the most literal sense. Another guy, however, (Jean-Pierre Aumont) comes home to find her occupying his bed and they have a LONG sex scene while they hilariously discuss the advantages and disadvantages of various sexual positions. In another incredible scene she is frugging away at a disco in her glittering micro-mini ensemble when she locks eyes with a guy across the room. Minutes later, and seemingly without a word of dialogue, she has shimmied out of her dress and is bare-ass naked in his bed. (No wonder he mistakes her for a pro and , much to her surprise, presents her with 500 francs afterwards!)

Birkin might be most famous today for being the mother of French actress Charlotte Gainsbourg (whose father was the late French pop impresario Serg Gainsbourg). Both mother and daughter are stunning beauties who have never been shy about shedding their clothes. Both are also respected actresses today. But while Gainsbourg has always appeared in pretty high-class roles since her memorable debut in Claude Miller's "The Little Thief", Birkin debuted in small but memorable role in Michaelangelo Antonioni's "Blowup" (where she supposedly had the first ever full-frontal nude scene in a legitimate film), but toiled for some years in a lot of crap like this before making it big in star-studded British Agatha Christie adaptations (i.e. "Death on the Nile", "Evil Under the Sun") and highbrow French art films (i.e. "La Belle Noisseuse). One thing is for sure though--a dumbass sex comedy with the "shagelicious" presence of Birkin is ALWAYS better than one without it.

Jane Birkin plays an English women visiting France, When she runs out of money she decides to prostitute herself for money. She sets up appointments with Prospective Johns on every day of the week, and on that day every week she sees a different regular, Soon she decides to go public with her company that she foolishly decides to create in the first place and subsequently sell stocks in her company to her Johns, By selling Stocks she literally sells herself to that john for that day, eventually she buys back her stock and becomes rich. This Ridiculous story has nothing going for it besides seeing a naked and always scantly clad Jane Birkin.

'Catherine & Co' has always been one of my favorite bits of fluff. It was made in France and has a French sensibility to the nude female form and a light, though not uncritical attitude towards sexual freedom. Catherine is a kind of latter day Moll Flanders--a woman without means in a culture where men control the means to a comfortable life--and she trades on the only resources she has, her looks and charm. She travels through modern French society as a picaresque hero, revealing the comic weaknesses of commercialism, old nobility, unwanted children and ghost-written novels. The satiric targets are likable and sympathetic characters who are convincingly Catherine's friends. While Birkin's characterization of Catherine is often broad and farcical, she also gives the character an innocence, a faithfulness and survival instinct that provides dimension beyond farce.

If you like and are not offended by Restoration comedy, you may enjoy 'Catherine & Co.'

One can view this French film as soft porn or a social commentary on prostitution and feminism. For once the woman has the upper hand here arriving in Paris and after a few months later becomes a rich independent educational woman. I enjoy the film's humour and richness of dialogue. Compare to some of the modern trash that grabs millions weekly, this is sure one film that could meet with success on a limited release.