It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

The movie is surprisingly subdued in its pacing, its characterizations, and its go-for-broke sensibilities.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

If you are looking for action, erotic or otherwise, this is not a film you will enjoy.It is a simple pleasure of color and emotion.The plot is simple: A rich woman (Stéphane Audran - Babette's Feast, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie) takes a liking to a poor young girl (Jacqueline Sassard). A man (Jean-Louis Trintignant - Z, Red) enters the picture, and friction results. That's it.But, don't let the simplicity fool you. There is an elegant dance among the characters as emotional games are played. It is the dance amid the beauty of St. Tropez that is the pleasure.

Although comparisons to Hitchcock are inevitable (and perhaps deserved), Chabrol's best films have an ethereal quality and a unique approach to the storytelling that's all his. In many ways, although coming in the late stages of what is considered by many Chabrol's transitional phase (which I sometimes think is a polite way to say 'Chabrol went daft on us and decided he was a glossy espionage thriller sort'), "Les Biches" is reminiscent of some of Chabrol's early films, including the ones which were key to the development of the French New Wave. There's a lot of that in this film, with its off-kilter approach and unconventional editing, a pleasant surprise coming after the glossy, typical murder-mystery that was "The Champagne Murders". This film fits perfectly with Chabrol the auteur's style, ideology, and storytelling method (focusing heavily on the characters), and it's nice to see him craft such a visually remarkable film after the disappointments that preceded.Before going further into the visual aspects of the film I'd like to address the script. In short, it's great. It's the sort of thing that could have so easily been a heinously atrocious melodrama or a cheap skin flick (which, as the film involves bisexuality, is unsurprisingly how it was marketed in the US), but is so intelligently-written and well-developed that it works tremendously well. Most importantly, of course, the characters are complex and interesting enough to carry the first half of the film, before the strange relationships between the three main characters come to the forefront and Chabrol relentlessly builds the sexual tension and suspense all the way through to the film's excellent final scene. The visuals are unquestionably Chabrol. The direction is highly controlled and the camera is rarely still, and even then a zoom is almost expected. With most other directors this would almost feel impatient and unnecessary but Chabrol is always able to use the technique to his advantage, using the motion evocatively and reflecting the nature of the film's events, and this also means that stillness can be used to great effect (as it is in a key scene in around the hour and twenty minute mark). The cinematography by Jean Rabier (Cléo de 5 à 7) is excellent and doubtlessly influenced heavily by Chabrol, who frequently favors muted colors, especially pastels, and understated use of sunlight. The choreography of the camera movement and those in front of the camera is of far more interest than the photography, however, and may even be a nuisance to some viewers as the movement of the characters is often very contrived and even unnatural to create a particular sort of shot composition. These scenes achieve a sort of gracefulness that ultimately works in favor of the film stylistically, but realists and naturalists might be upset."Les Biches" is one of Chabrol's better sixties films, a taut, suspenseful drama that should be approached without any specific expectations of genre or style. The characters carry the film, and Chabrol's stylish but sophisticated direction keeps the film involving and gripping, allowing the viewer a rare bit of comfort now and then before raising the tension again. 9/10

Claude Chabrol 1968 film "Les Biches" marked a turn for the director after a decade, or so, after breaking into movies. Unlike other French film makers, Chabrol showed he was more interested in style over politics. The structure of this film seems mapped out carefully as there is no spontaneous moment in the film. Chabrol calculated how he wanted to present the story in his own terms. The result is a film that was ahead of its times in many aspects, perhaps in the frankness the director treats with the subject at the center of the story.Unfortunately, we saw the film recently in the DVD transfer, which pales in comparison with the original way we saw on the big screen. Since the format is not the "letterbox" format, most scenes show only half of the actors faces. This is a film that cries for a better transfer because of the elegant lines Mr. Chabrol created for the film.The film is divided in three chapters involving the three principals of the story. Frederique, a rich bored woman wants the beautiful young street painter she meets on one of the bridges over the Seine. It's clear from the beginning what Frederique's real intentions really are. The glances Frederique gives the young woman, "Why", as she has named her, have an explicit connotation hard to ignore by this gorgeous creature.Things begin to change as Frederique and Why arrive at the Saint Tropez house. It's winter, so the place is empty. When the young architect, Paul Thomas, comes to a party at Frederique's he only has eyes for Why, but Frederique succeeds in snaring him. Why, in turn will begin impersonating Frederique in order to get Paul.The main strength in the film is the superior acting Chabrol got out of all his principals. Stephane Audran made an extraordinary contribution with her Frederique. Ms. Audran caught the soul of this woman and stole the film. The gorgeous Jacqueline Sassard appears as Why, in a role that showed her to be up to the challenge her co-star presented for the actress playing opposite her. Jean-Louis Trintignant is the less interesting of the principals because his character is an enigma. Comic relief come in the way of Henri Attal and Dominique Zardi, a gay couple staying at Frederique's home."Les Biches" is a film to watch to see a master like Claude Chabrol doing great work.

While the beauty and terrific acting of Sassard and Audran make this film seem to be about sexual roles, sexual ambiguity and personal and sexual identity, at its core, this is about a girl who is or becomes unbalanced, and once she comes unhinged, becomes a violent character from a Fritz Lang noir. The penultimate scene is transfixing, but the entire film is beautifully shot, tautly edited and exceptionally stylish and intelligent without calling attention to itself. As usual, Chabrol begins with a noir thriller and casual plot and transforms these elements into something else. Though not a common video, it is available on tape; please see it.