Love is my profession (En cas de malheur) dir. Claude Autant-Lara, 1958
A breakthrough film in Brigitte Bardot's career, because for the first time you can see the actress in it, and not just her own personality as it was in Vadim's And god created woman (1956).
There is nothing of the 'bad woman' about BB. Frankness and kindness can be read on her face. She is more like a Pekingese than a cat. She is neither depraved nor venal. In 'Love is my proffesion' she bunches up her skirt and crudely proposes a deal to Gabin. But there is a kind of disarming candour in her cynicism. She is blooming and healthy, quietly sensual. It is impossible to see in her the touch of Satan, and for that reason she seems all the more diabolical to women who feel humiliated and threatened by her beauty. [S. de Beauvoir, Brigitte Bardot and the Lolita syndrome, 1962 pp. 26,28]
Maybe not at the top, but Gabin is high on my list of Maigret interpretations, not least as he looks stunning smoking a pipe.
Especially as he got older, his face perfectly suited a briar.
I like to imagine here that he's got me helplessly bound and gagged, wondering what perversions he's going to inflict...
He appeared in three Maigret films: Maigret tend un piège (1957), L'Affaire Saint-Fiacre (1959) and Maigret voit rouge (1963), small beer compared to Jean Richard, who made more than 90 (albeit TV) appearances, and Rupert Davies, with more than 50.
Even so, he made his mark. I put him on my third place of favourite Maigrets, after Davies (always the best) and Richard. What commends him, in this order: that wonderful, deep, gravelly voice of his, his pipe-handling technique, that square, solid build.
And, of course, it should not be forgotten: the man knew how to wear a hat.
Finally, a shot with Georges Simenon. Am I alone in finding one pipe smoker lighting another's pipe erotic? Probably not.
Les paroles de la chanson gare aux cons. Tout à l’heure, j’roulais sur mon scooter dans Paris d’une voiture au feu rouge un mec me dis: eh madame il est quelle heure? J’lui répond midi. Ol me dit madame qu’est-ce que t’es bonne tu veux pas me faire une pepi. Ses potes rigolent sur le moment j’ai pas compris j’répond, mon grand c’est pas comme ça qu’on parle aux gens t’aimerais pas qu’on parle comme ça à ta maman. Le mec me regarde avec une tête de chien de garde il m’fait « vas-y parle pas d’ma mère ou ôte défonce » j’lui répond « du calme Alphonse. J’te connais pas-tu m’agresse, c’est quoi ce manque de délicatesse? On t’a pas dit de traiter les femmes comme des princesses? » il m’dit « ouais mais toi j’te baise ». J’lui dis bah non justement c’est ça le malaise