Tendre voyou

I mistook this colorful, location-filled adventure fluff for a light-hearted caper - and, therefore, I couldn't help being disappointed by the lack of a definite plot and the general silliness of the whole enterprise! Becker is the son of Jacques Becker - who had made classics like CASQUE D'OR (1952), TOUCHEZ PAS AU GRISBI (1954) and LE TROU (1960) - but he demonstrates little of his father's attention to detail, where the style actually served the plot and the characters rather than being merely surface gloss. In fact, the film leans completely on the charms of leading-man Jean-Paul Belmondo - who's accompanied off-screen by a bouncy Michel Legrand score and on it by the likes of Robert Morley, Jean-Pierre Marielle, Philippe Noiret and Marcel Dalio...not forgetting a bevy of beauties (though second-billed Stefania Sandrelli is wasted and actually appears only in the film's final third), including Orson Welles' future wife Oja Kodar! I'd still love to watch Becker's award-winning erotic drama ONE DEADLY SUMMER (1983), starring luscious Isabelle Adjani...

"Tender Scoundrel" is a typical Belmondo vehicle, though lacks the necessary spirit of adventure of his other fims , being more a "Alfie's style" movie than an action film. Here Belmondo is a womanizer , a seducer who chases beautiful girls . He is a playboy out of control in París of the Sixties, with only a purport : to seduce and conquer countless girls . He uses woman after woman to fulfill needs and romances all around the World until Tahiti . With a little French eclair or a Swiss souffle . One yacht with a crazy nymph. In the Tropics with a torrid butterfly . It is Belmondo..The World's first swinger?

This is a fun and extravangant adventure of a scoundrel who romances women all over the world . Sympathetic acting by the always great Belmondo who proves has comedian skills . It nowadays seems a dated but likeable and engaging comedy , a Belmondo's recital, similar to "Alfie" with Michael Caine, but while the latter results be dramatic and with tragic results , in "Tender Scoundrel" is all amusement , entertainment and fun . Being chieftly notable for its performances by a top-drawer main and support cast . Belmondo is terrific as the macho Man who proclaims there is none that can resist his charm , vanquishing whatever hard challenge . This time Belmondo is well accompanied by a notorious secondary cast such as : Jean Pierre Marielle , Philpe Noiret , Robert Morley , Marcelo Dalio, Ivan Desny , Peter Carsten and a lot of famous Eurostars at the time , such as : Genevieve Page , Mylene Demongeot , Stephenie Sandrelli, Michele Girardon , and Nadja Tiller as Baroness Mina Von Strasshofer.

The picture was lively directed by Jean Becker , but being routine , messy and no especially worthwhile . Jean Becker is a fine director who has made some nice films such as: " My Afternoons with Margueritte" ," Three Children of the Marshland" , "Love Me No More" , "Conversations with my gardener" , "A escape Libre" , "A Crime in Paradise" , "The Red Collar" and his biggest hit : "One deadly Summer" with Isabelle Adjani . Rating : 5.5/10. Acceptable and passable . The picture will appeal to Belmondo fans.

This is one of my personal favorites of Belmondo movies. Maybe because it's a little strange one. Especially the plot which goes from one place to another without much progress, characters pop in and pop out... Some characters you think are very important lost in the middle and you don't see them no more.

There's not too much action like in "Men" titles of those times (From Rio and From Hong Kong), but there is more fun! Especially the first half is excellent. Full of gags, lies, pretends and embarrassments. As the main character goes to world-round trip, the plot is little slowing, but still Belmondo doesn't let you bore.

And there is one more thing I like about this movie: the colours. They are very warm and rich, just in the sixties style. Throughout. In apartments, in Paris, on the boat. Very sunny movie!

The scene at 40.46 is delicious, when Geneviève Page asks Belmondo to beat her. And the scenes with Nadja Tiller playing the nymphomaniac Baroness Minna von Strasshofer are funny. Stefania Sandrelli is very young and very beautiful.