busker

Movies Français

Browsing thru the video store, I suddenly spotted Godard's Alphaville with the elegant Anna Karina and, as if I'd chewed down on that madeleine, that whole year in Tours came flooding back and I had to rent it.

1967 was like a movie in itself - lecherous Tuesday Weld-lookalike Wendy all to myself; Carmen (Sp), Wendy (Welsh)and Sandie (Aus) holed up in that apartment on Febvotte; Roger's bar where I don't think the guitar let me pay for a single drink; buzzing round Tours on the Honda in the afghan jacket mum had brought hot out of Afghanistan and which no one had ever seen before.

French classes, booze, guitar, sex, movies, sex, booze, guitar ... mon Dieu.

I knew nothing about films or that frenchie scene of noir or vague or whatever, but I adored Wendy and went along with the chat. I even read Éluard.

Not I could have written a book; I should have.

And 37 years on - bliss and tears - Les Invasions Barbares with the divine Marie-Josée Croze, something to erase the memory of Innocents aux mains sales, possibly the silliest movie I have ever seen, particularly for Steiger's hammy performance.