L'exécutrice

So this seems to be a case of hard core porn director, Michel Caputo attempting to make it into the mainstream with the help of (possibly an old associate) legendary, Brigitte Lahaie. Must have seemed a good idea to make a straight film based around a bunch of pornographers, won't even need a story. Except in anything other than your usual fare, Mr. Caputo, you do need one and a believable one at that, unless the charm and action is going to carry things. Try as she might, however, Lahaie can't carry this by herself, never mind how much running around she does. Main trouble here (apart from all the 80s music and athletic dancing) is that it is all so implausible. We have an ageing lesbian who is supposed to be irresistible but looks more like a crazed prison warden (I suppose that could irresistible to some!) and a besotted police commissioner who could not even convince as a bobby on the beat.

In view of the fact that the film basically has no story, it works surprisingly well. The action is really well executed, the timing is good and Lahaie shows that she really can act. Quite interesting that this was at a time when she was still doing hardcore. The director also only made hardcore apart from this film so again it works surprisingly well. The music sounds rather Morricone-ish. Overall it is a fairly typical French action vehicle of the 80s, pretty much like what Belmondo was churning out at the time - but with breasts. In terms of violence the film certainly went more than one step further then most European films at the time. I expected to be entertained for all the wrong reasons but was pleasantly surprised.