Le septième ciel

...And against all odds ,a good film, a very funny comedy full of black humor.

Madame De Loudéville is a benefactress,always ready to give millions to the needy ,from the TB patients to the poor black children from Africa.All the city council sings her praise ,calls her a saint and is to erect a statue of her.

And yet ,she only owns a brewery and her beer is called "Trois Etoiles".

Madame De Loudéville has strict morals:scoundrels must go to heaven ,and the only way for them to redeem their soul is to die after they "gave " their money to those in strained circumstances.So the chic lady helps them to die by murdering them with a little help of her henchman (Noel Noel) whom she knows is in love with her...as are/were her victims:nine in total so far...They are buried in her garden under hydrangeas ("our good lady!her favorite flower!")and their clumps are clock-shaped ("soon ,we'll have the twelfth hour).

Danielle Darrieux shines in her part of a shameless posh lady ,who is always thinking straight ,in spite of her crimes ,who remains "true to herself" and who thinks she has God on her side.The excellent supporting cast includes Paul Meurisse as a not-so-smart gangster and Alberto Sordi whose French is perfect.There are plenty of good lines till the very end when God (or Jupiter more like)flows into a terrible rage.

Give it exactly 12 minutes and you'll be hooked by this funny 1958 film.

Darrieux is an absolute hoot as Brigitte, the whirlwind-like heiress of a big brewery. Aided by her long-suffering devotee Lestrange (played by Noël-Noël) she swindles and fearlessly bumps off underworld characters in order to donate to worthy charities. But has she met her match in Paul Meurisse?

Little very French moments of joy

• when she rattles out "it wouldn't bring anybody back and they'd acquit her anyway"
• when she hums the nursery rhyme "il court, il court le furet..."
• her vicious 'kkkkk' when Lestrange refuses to play along

A cracking ending too.