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Pure Beauties: Naughty Girl - Bauko Elchl

Pure Beauties: Naughty Girl - Bauko Elchl

List Price: $19.95
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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Entertaining and fast paced comedy
Review: "Naughty Girl" ("Cette sacreu gamine") was made the year before Brigitte Bardot "...And God Created Woman" and became a world wide sensation. This film is a French version of an American screwball comedy. Bardot is a precocious schoolgirl whose father (Bernard Lancret), the owner of a Parisian nightclub called the Mississippi has to flee the city after being charged with forgery. Brigitte (that is also the character's name) ends up in the care of playboy lounge singer Jean Cleary (Jean Bretonniere), and immediately turns him life upside down, similar to Katharine Hepburn doing in Cary Grant in "Bringing Up Baby." Of course, this is Bardot, not Hepburn, although she is referred to as "a big baby" by her father during the early part of the film (the irony is lost on neither the audinece nor the gardener). But Brigitte is a handful, almost burning down Jean's apartment while ironing. The ending is a fairly dumb chair smashing brawl at the Mississippi that goes on way too long. The best sequence is an extended fantasy where Jean has to sit through a dull lecture on psychoanalysis and each of his dreams end up involving Brigitte dancing in a series of revealing outfits. "Naughty Girl" is not one of Bardot's best films, but it does capture the "sex kitten" aspect of her early film career when her characters were never aware of their incredible sexuality. Written by Bardot's husband, Roger Vadim, this 1956 French film (with English subtitles) was directed by Michel Boisrond. The film was also released in the U.S. in 1957 as "Mam'zelle Pigalle" and "The Naughty Girl," not to be confused with "Naughty Girl." Oh, the difference a le makes...

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A French screwball comedy with sex kitten Brigitte Bardot
Review: "Naughty Girl" ("Cette sacreu gamine") was made the year before Brigitte Bardot "...And God Created Woman" and became a world wide sensation. This film is a French version of an American screwball comedy. Bardot is a precocious schoolgirl whose father (Bernard Lancret), the owner of a Parisian nightclub called the Mississippi has to flee the city after being charged with forgery. Brigitte (that is also the character's name) ends up in the care of playboy lounge singer Jean Cleary (Jean Bretonniere), and immediately turns him life upside down, similar to Katharine Hepburn doing in Cary Grant in "Bringing Up Baby." Of course, this is Bardot, not Hepburn, although she is referred to as "a big baby" by her father during the early part of the film (the irony is lost on neither the audinece nor the gardener). But Brigitte is a handful, almost burning down Jean's apartment while ironing. The ending is a fairly dumb chair smashing brawl at the Mississippi that goes on way too long. The best sequence is an extended fantasy where Jean has to sit through a dull lecture on psychoanalysis and each of his dreams end up involving Brigitte dancing in a series of revealing outfits. "Naughty Girl" is not one of Bardot's best films, but it does capture the "sex kitten" aspect of her early film career when her characters were never aware of their incredible sexuality. Written by Bardot's husband, Roger Vadim, this 1956 French film (with English subtitles) was directed by Michel Boisrond. The film was also released in the U.S. in 1957 as "Mam'zelle Pigalle" and "The Naughty Girl," not to be confused with "Naughty Girl." Oh, the difference a le makes...

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: charming
Review: Although the somewhat formal 1950's set of this light comedy doesn't entirely suit Brigitte Bardot's talents, she manages to come out well. Mostly thanks to her nice dancing scenes, clearly showing Bardot is at her best when performing her own relaxed self.

'Cette sacrée gamine' also shows us Brigitte Bardot on the eve of her big breakthrough. Not being strong enough yet to dictate the pace of this movie, she's nevertheless able to leave her trademark. If you are prepared to slow yourself down to the speed of 1950's life, 'naughty girl' makes an enjoyable watch.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Beware! This edition is dubbed into English!
Review: Bridget Bardot stars in this slight, ineffective would-be slapstick comedy, co-directed by Roger Vadim. The plot is slapdash, and while Bardot is a total babe, we don't really get much of a chance to take in her charms... she has a kooky, carefree dance scene, and wears some weird outfits during a dream sequence, but really none of it is worth sitting through the actual film.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Bardot is adorable; the film's a dud.
Review: Bridget Bardot stars in this slight, ineffective would-be slapstick comedy, co-directed by Roger Vadim. The plot is slapdash, and while Bardot is a total babe, we don't really get much of a chance to take in her charms... she has a kooky, carefree dance scene, and wears some weird outfits during a dream sequence, but really none of it is worth sitting through the actual film.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Beware! This edition is dubbed into English!
Review: Do not buy this 2 pack if you want the original French edition. This one is dubbed into English and was very disappointing for me to watch. The original French edition is supposedly coming out in March. So much of the flavor of this movie is lost with the dubbing.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Entertaining and fast paced comedy
Review: I was finally able to get a reasonably clear version of this movie to properly evaluate it. You may not be so lucky.

This movie turns out to be very entertaining and amusing. The comedy is part wit and part slapstick. The entire cast is quite good. Bardot is simply adorable as the teenage daughter of a nightclub owner. She may look like a goddess but Bardot is very earthly in her ways. She is not so much naughty in this picture as she is accident prone and inept at virtually anything she attempts. Her sensuality is quite apparent but still developing at this early stage of her career.

I don't believe there is a digitally restored version of this movie. One of the production companies should do it as done with other Bardot movies. This movie then can really be enjoyed.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: How could anyone not love Bardot ...
Review: The storyline is simple, Brigette Bardot is a school girl who imagines that her father has an exciting other life which he is keeping from her. Little does she know that he owns a nightclub in Paris and is in trouble with the law. When he has to flee town, her father entrusts her to a nightclub singer, whose life turns topsy turvy when she goes to stay with him. The story is not the focus of the film, but rather Bardot's innocence and sensuality, the way she flaunts it throughout the film, one of the few actresses who has that child/woman duality about them. Of course, Brigette Bardot is a goddess, and if you are a fan, you should not miss this movie, it doesn't require much thought but is thoroughly enjoyable ...


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