Les volets clos

"Eglantine" ,Brialy's charming debut featured an old grandma (Valentine Tessier) who used to gather her grandsons and granddaughters in her mansion.

Nostalgia is the keyword to Brialy's movies as a director ;his sophomore effort ,although not for the whole family this time, takes place in a brothel in Brittany where a sailor (on furlough or a deserter?) takes refuge and becomes the darling of the ladies .... Do not expect "la maison Tellier " ;neither Brialy nor his colloborator Forlani is Maupassant ;the story is not really enthusing and even sometimes tedious .

The interest lies elsewhere: Brialy gathered a bevy of French actresses ,some of whom (Marie Bell, Ginette Leclerc) belong to the glorious old French cinema ) ;the male lead was Jacques Charrier ,ex-Brigitte Bardot's husband , who,although only 37 ,was already a man of the past ,his time had passed long ago ;it was to be his last theatrically-released movie -coincidentally ,BB's career ended the very same year.

A certain retro-style charm , but do not expect much.