This is my first Jacques Becker film but I don't think it will be my last. I like the way this director tells his story of obsessive love, undercutting the innate heaviness of such a theme by including numerous interesting Parisian quirks and detours, like the merry go round in the Tuileries that evoke the louche couturier Clarence's childhood, an upper crust French family that provokes and teases each other while aggressively playing table tennis, and the chic restaurant where Clarence feels so at home flaunting his latest conquest. I also enjoy Becker's numerous forays into the fevered, chauvinistic world of Parisian fashion design where an abusive, charming man at the apex presides over an army of female employees who both dislike and adore him, in equal measure. Finally, I like the performance of Raymond Rouleau as Clarence. It is so good that I almost felt sorry for the callous butthole who has finally fallen in love, as opposed to falling in lust...with his best friend's wife to be, natch. And as the object of his affection Micheline Presles, who I'm happy to say celebrated her 100th b-day last month, is properly beautiful, sexy and innocent and with just enough integrity to frustrate Clarence and cause him grief at the end. Also good were Gabrille Dorziat and Jeanne Fusier-gir as Clarence's two senior worker drones, the later kind of channeling in looks and manner a Gallic Thelma Ritter (not a bad thing!).
So why a 9 instead of a 10? Proceedings become too Grand Guignol at the end with whatever is the French equivalent of scenery chewing rearing its histrionic head and the love scenes with Rouleau and Presles have a tendency to drag. Becker wisely soft peddled them.
Bottom line: Call me Freddy Philistine, but I liked it better than "Phantom Thread". A minus.
