Audience Member
Truffaut's dark humor is on display here; the show is all Lafont's, but the film wears a bit thin after a while.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
02/27/23
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Audience Member
Review In A Nutshell:
As directors, it is important for one to completely understand the character that is being explored, they need to show understanding and only from that understanding does one have the right to lay personal judgement on the subject. A Gorgeous Girl Like Me follows a sociologist, who is conducting an interview with a female prisoner, Camille Bliss, for a thesis he has on criminal women.
His role is quite similar to a director's, he observes them and asks questions that hopefully would reveal profound answers that would stir the minds of those who are reading/listening. It was this connection that allowed a personal touch to be found in the protagonist, Stanislas Previne; seeing Truffaut in the personality and mindset of its character. Though he is the conductor of the interview and would play a large role in the way the story would be told once his project is finished, it was the subject that remained fascinating, drawing me in from the start with her sharp but seductive personality.
It is from the moment she opened her mouth and exposed her history to the professor that I became lost into the tale; constantly in a state of intrigue by her long and wild story, balancing both adventure and personal drama. I was hooked by the amount of relationships she has had, and many of them were men, and how she used those relationships in order to live day to day. There was enough insight about the multiple factors that could have contributed to her adult personality, and furthermore was gained from the opinionated contributions from Stanislas. It was the idea that men cannot seem to detach themselves away from her, constantly in a state of lust and curiosity when they see her face, and cannot completely explain why this is so. As an audience, especially for the males, we are able to share similar feelings and thoughts, but not completely have a grasp on why we have them.
As the film progresses, a subtle seed that was laid on Stanislas, and also the audience, has begun to grow, manipulating us in wanting to save her from her awful and difficult position; even if somewhere in the back of our minds that we have doubts about her pure intentions. The film ends in a perfect note, leaving us saddened for the events that had unfold, and could only hope that somehow justice would be served.
A Gorgeous Girl Like Me is a striking narrative achievement by Francois Truffaut, being able to tell a dark and twisted story, while maintaining a sense of lightness and humour in between. It is a tale that I am willing to return to, even if it is just to see Camille Bliss' face again; it may be bad for my wellbeing but I simply do not care.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
02/04/23
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Audience Member
The femme fatale here is mind-boggling. Why can she always succeed?
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
02/25/23
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È il secondo film di Truffaut che vede (il primo è "effetto notte") e per ora non ne vedo per nulla la genialità. Aspetterò ancora prima di dare un giudizio definitivo.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
01/29/23
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Audience Member
François Truffaut's films never cease to amaze. Most have a gritty sense of reality softened with black humor and light touches, and the rest are kick-ass lessons in drama or period filmmaking. "Les 400 coups" was a Cannes winner, "La niut americaine" an Oscar winner, "La marià (C)e à (C)tait en noir" was a box office hit and an inspiration for the likes of Brian dePalma or Tarantino, the Doinel quintology is in another level entirely, etc, etc. Off course that some of his "lighter" films are forgotten, seldom seen or discussed. I have seen about 20 of his 25 films, and "Une belle fille comme moi" was one of those less known and less talked about I had never seen. Yet, once again, I was blown away. One can see why this is not hailed as a "masterpiece", the simple storyline and the simple way it is delivered denies those major perfect scenes by which movies are remembered. Yet it cannot be denied that "Une belle fille comme moi" is an amazing black comedy, brilliant all the way, and one which attacks, quite beautifully, hidden among its lighter structure, the judicial system, and mostly the psychologists' justifications for behavior. In "Les 400 coups" we had little inklings of Truffauts perspective on what the "system" devised as excuses for the behavior of juvenile delinquents, but here the attack is full frontal. Made in 1972 between the period drama "Les deux Anglaises et le continent" (1971) and his most successful american film "La nuit americaine" (1973), "Une belle fille comme moi" narrates the story of voluptuous Camille Bliss (Bernadette Lafont). She is in prison for murder and receives the visits of a sociologist (Andrà (C) Dussollier), who is trying to write a book on woman criminals. She tells him in flashback her adventures, in which she basically beds every man in sight in order to climb the social ladder and pursue her dream of being a singer. Off course that what her voice over says to the sociologist is not exactly what we see happen on screen... The body pile builds up, due to "accidents", and she juggles 4 lovers until the events lead up to her capture. Yet, as the interviews progress, the sociologists seems about to become another victim of Camille's charms, and events can take a major twist! With an incredibly simple plot, Truffaut fires his shots directly at the judicial system, at the same time as he, very humorously, adds elements of noir films, as the femme fatale jumps from one lover to another, turning ones against the others, so that she can come out on top. After a few years in prison, she has also the talent still to juggle with the sociologist, which can be her ticket to freedom. It may not be very believable, but many movies have been made with similar plots but with way less quality. Truffaut proves once again his marvelous comic timing, and how he can make a social commentary without forcing a dramatic view on the audience. This will please for the movie itself, and not for its underlying message. For that, this is a great film, and I don't understand why this is not among Truffaut's masterpieces. Enjoyed it very, very much (more so than other supposed Truffaut's masterpieces).
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
01/31/23
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Audience Member
Truffaut's homage to womanhood, free spirited souls and quirky romantic human flaws from the perspective of his beautiful heroine Bernadette Lafont. Seen at the New York French Alliance in 2009.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
01/13/23
Full Review
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