Marcelle Arnold Movies

After laboring in obscurity for several years, French filmmaker Claude Sautet finally struck a responsive chord with moviegoers in Les Choses de la Vie. The plot isn't much: the hero, businessman Michel Piccoli, must choose between his wife and his mistress, two women whom he loves with equal fervor. It is what Sautet does with the material that lifts the film above the ordinary. The director puts the central character's plight in context with his ongoing concerns over his job, his income, and his relationship with his family. In Choses de la Vie Sautet has nothing but the warmest feelings for his characters, which results in more three-dimensionality that might normally be expected in so banal a plotline. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The seven major sins receive treatment from some of France's greatest directors in this lively portmanteau. "Anger" by Dhomme, chronicles a single horrific day when every bowl of soup in France is found to contain a fly. This causes a devastating nationwide revolt. "Envy" by Molinaro tells the story of a chambermaid whose dream of sleeping with a millionaire comes true. Unfortunately, she goes back to work and finds herself still consumed with jealousy. De Broca's "Gluttony" provides one of the film's most enjoyable episodes as it follows the exploits of a voracious family heading off for a funeral. "Lust" by Demy is set at a Parisian sidewalk cafe and eavesdrops upon the lusty conversation between two young men, one of whom has x-ray eyes that enable him to see through women's clothing. "Laziness" by Godard features real life matinee idol Constantine as a movie star who finds himself too sluggish to respond to the starlet trying so hard to seduce him. "Pride" by Roger Vadim tells the satirical tale of a philandering wife who changes her mind and stays with her husband after learning that her happy home is being threatened by another woman. Finally in Chabrol's "Greed," young men who have pooled their meager resources to buy a prostitute, fight for the chance to be with her. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this frothy romantic comedy, the lovely Brigitte Bardot plays Chouchou, a successful model. Chouchou is single but hoping to change that soon; she's become infatuated with Michel (Louis Jordan), the editor of a fashion magazine, but Michel, apparently unaware of an opportunity when it presents itself, seems unaware of her interest in him. The harder Chouchou tries to make herself noticed, the less Michel seems to understand, until she takes drastic measures by making him chase her though the woods while she wears sheer lingerie which leaves little to the imagination. La Mariée est trop belle was one of a number of light comedies starring Brigitte Bardot which arrived in American theaters after the international success of ... And God Created Woman. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

The astoundingly prolific French filmmaker Jean Boyer turned out only one film in 1948. Tous les Chemins Menent a Rome stars Gerard Phillipe as Gabriel, a bookish professor who is convinced he is coming to the rescue of a damsel in distress. Actually, Gabriel has misunderstood the situation: the damsel is actually a Hollywood movie star named Laura (Micheline Presle), rehearsing a scene from her latest picture. Still, Laura is amused by Gabriel's earnestness, and decides to string him along. Thanks to Laura's encouragement, Gabriel actually does become a hero, but not in the way that he expects. The film has a breezy, circus-like atmosphere, much like the later Jerry Lewis films so beloved by French cineasts. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi