Irvin Kershner’s S*P*Y*S (1974)

by Kimberly Lindbergs | December 17, 2008

Categories | Movie Reviews, Spies & Secret Agents, American Cinema, Comedies, Elliot Gould, yé-yé

In 1970 Donald Sutherland and Elliott Gould made movie history with their portrayals of Hawkeye and Trapper John, two young wisecracking surgeons working at a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War. The success of M*A*S*H (1970) catapulted Donald Sutherland and Elliott Gould into superstardom and audiences wanted to see them appear in more films together.

In 1974 the actors got an opportunity to team-up again in Irvin Kershner’s unusual comedy S*P*Y*S, which was released on DVD for the first time last year. This uneven spy spoof was panned by critics when it was originally released and it’s not hard to see why the movie has received a lot of negative press over the year, but I still think S*P*Y*S has a few things to offer potential viewers who are looking for some laughs.

Much like Robert Altman’s M*A*S*H, Irvin Kershner’s film is undeniably a product of its time and the radical politics of the era play a large part in the movie’s portrayal of government figures and the shady world of international espionage. S*P*Y*S is nowhere near as smart or well-written as Altman’s critically acclaimed M*A*S*H, but not all of the jokes in S*P*Y*S fall flat and some of the action filled comedy sequences are well executed. The film was also shot on location in France, which lends the movie a nice atmosphere. If potential viewers expect S*P*Y*S to be another M*A*S*H, they’re bound to be disappointed. On the other hand, if you watch the film with no expectations you might just enjoy yourself. S*P*Y*S is a quirky unconventional spy spoof that has limited appeal, but a lot of ’70s style charm.

Donald Sutherland and Elliott Gould have a natural chemistry together on screen and it’s fun to watch them bounce jokes off one another even when those jokes are missing their intended marks. In S*P*Y*S the two actors play CIA agents Griff (Elliott Gould) and Bruland (Donald Sutherland), who find themselves caught up in a cold war cat and mouse game with Russian agents. Gould and Sutherland were both iconic counterculture figures in the seventies and their shared easygoing humor is undeniably appealing here. Both actors work extremely well together and they’re able to inject some life into the film’s lackluster script.

Top: Elliot Gould & Donald Sutherland in S*P*Y*S (1974)
Bottom: Zouzou in S*P*Y*S (1974)

The movie also stars the beautiful French pop icon and yé-yé star Zouzou (aka Danièle Ciarlet) as a radical anarchist called Sybil. Her appearance in the film is unfortunately much too brief and she doesn’t get the opportunity to sing any songs, but Zouzou is terrific whenever she is on screen and it’s hard to keep your eyes off her. The rest of the cast is pretty forgettable, but the french actors Xavier Gélin and Pierre Oudrey are memorable as Sybil’s revolutionary minded companions.

This cold war comedy definitely owes a tip of the hat to Kershner’s previous film Up the Sandbox (1972), which starred Elliot Gould’s ex-wife Barbara Streisand. Both films took jabs at the government fueled fears of average Americans toward radical political groups at the time and used comedy as a force to explore pertinent social concerns. Up the Sandbox is a better and more fully realized film than S*P*Y*S, but both movies would make an interesting double feature thanks to their subject matter and stars.

Director Irvin Kershner has had a decidedly mixed carer behind the camera with a few worthwhile hits and many misses. After making S*P*Y*S he directed some critically acclaimed films such as the fascinating Eyes of Laura Mars (1978) and the popular Star Wars sequel The Empire Strikes Back (1980). Ironically Kershner would also go on to make the James Bond film Never Say Never Again (1983) which marked his only return to the spy genre.

The 20th Century Fox DVD release of S*P*Y*S comes with some nice extras, including an interesting 20 minute featurette called Inside S*P*Y*S, which contains interviews with the director Irvin Kershner and the film’s star Elliott Gould. Both men express their disappointment with the movie, but the “making of” stories they share with viewers are really interesting and informative. The disc also contains a government documentary directed by Irvin Kershner called The Road of a Hundred Days and an original trailer for the film.

New and used copies of S*P*Y*S are currently selling at Amazon and the movie should be available for rent from Netflix and Greencine.

- A edited version of this review originally appeared in Cinedelica 04.26.2007

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The U.S. Premiere of Les Idoles (1968)

by Kimberly Lindbergs | November 16, 2008

Categories | Movie Reviews, News, French Cinema, Musicals, 1968, Pierre Clementi, yé-yé

If you live in New York or will be visiting the area on November 25th, you won’t want to miss the U.S. Premiere of the French pop musical spectacular, Les Idoles (1968). New York’s Film Society at Lincoln Center will be showing the film November 25th and following the film you can attend a fabulous yé-yé afterparty where DJs J Tripp, Melody Nelson, and the Film Society’s own Gabriele Caroti will spin French psychedelic ’60s pop.

For more information about Les Idoles and it’s upcoming U.S. Premiere please visit the official site for the Film Society of Lincoln Center.

Les Idoles was based on a popular stage play performed by the Center for Theater & Experimentation on Actor Performance founded by Marc’O (aka Marc-Gilbert Guillaumin) who also directed the film version of Les Idoles in 1968. The film’s stars were all originally members of Marc’O’s avant-garde theater group and in many ways Les Idoles was an accumulation of the work they did together on stage. This psychedelic musical satire serves as both a critique and inadvertently a celebration of French pop music and yé-yé culture in the sixties, which seemed to fuel the revolutionary spirit in French youth while also offering up easy escapism. Les Idoles apparently received a warm reception in France when it debuted in 1968, but for one reason or another the movie was never released in the United States.

The film centers around the rise and fall of three pop stars who sing and dance their way through Les Idoles. Pierre Clémenti plays the unruly and rebellious Charly “the Knife” le Surineur who is supposedly based on the real French pop idol Johnny Hallyday and the lovely Bulle Ogier plays the kooky, sweet and naive Gigi “the Mad” la Folle who seems to be a combination of two popular yé-yé girls; Sylvie Vartan and France Gall. And finally there is Jean-Pierre Kalfon as the singer with psychic powers known as Simon “the Magician” le Magicien. Although the quality of the musical numbers in Les Idoles varies, the three leading actors give some of their most energetic and sensational performances in this uncompromising musical.

I first discovered Les Idoles during a trip to Tokyo in late 2005. The film had just been released there and many of the music shops I visited displayed large advertising posters for Les Idoles DVDs, as well as CDs, books and other yé-yé related promotional materials. The Japanese seem to love French pop music from the sixties and it heavily influenced the Shibuya-kei scene made popular by great Japanese bands like Pizzicato Five so it’s not too surprising that Les Idoles would find an enthusiastic audience in the “Land of the Rising Sun.” Thanks to the upcoming U.S. premiere of the film, American audiences will now get the opportunity to enjoy Les Idoles as well.

I’ve never had the opportunity to see Les Idoles with English subtitles myself and since I don’t speak French it’s impossible for me to really write a thorough and detailed review of this imaginative film. I can tell you that the film has a distinct visual vocabulary and a wonderful sound that appeals to my senses and reaches well beyond any language barriers. If I do get the opportunity to see a subtitled version of Les Idoles in the future there’s a high probability that it will become one of my favorite films of 1968.

Besides the creative direction from Marc’O and the talented cast of actors who perform some great songs in the movie, Les Idoles also features some truly incredible set designs and striking interiors by Laurent Gire as well as stylish period costumes created by Jean Bouquin. All of this combines to make Les Idoles easily one of the most interesting and eye-catching musicals made in France during the sixties.

I’ve previously mentioned how much I admire and adore the actor turned filmmaker Pierre Clémenti, but his show-stopping performance as Charly “the Knife” le Surineur is truly one of his greatest roles. Clémenti was always ahead of his time and he brings an edgy youthfulness and bold abandon to the character of Charly “the Knife” that’s reminiscent of great iconic music artists from the late ’60s and early ’70s such as Jim Morrison and Iggy Pop. The lean pale figure clad in black leather that prowls the sets of Les Idoles could have easily given up acting to become one of the pop idols he mimics and that’s what makes his performance so compelling and dynamic. Clémenti is the picture perfect protopunk with the soul of a decadent 19th century French poet.

If you’re interested in experimental French film or just enjoy colorful French musicals from the sixties, then Les Idoles is definitely worth a look. Hopefully the U.S. premiere of the film will lead to a subtitled DVD release in the states so those of us who can’t make it to New York on November 25th will be able to enjoy this extraordinary film in the future.

If you’d like to see more images from the film you’ll find them in my Les Idoles Flickr Gallery.

Some recommended links:
- REVOLT INTO STYLE: Les Idoles. Sam Di Iorio’s insightful article about Les Idoles for Film Comment.
- Yé-Yé Land. A great site with lots of info about French pop music created by my pal April.
- Ode to Marcel. My previous tribute to Pierre Clémenti celebrating his role in Belle de Jour.

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In Search of the Halloween Spirit

by Kimberly Lindbergs | October 31, 2008

Categories | Rants & Raves, Serge Gainsbourg, yé-yé

This year I found it extremely difficult to get into the holiday spirit. Fall is my favorite time of year and October is a special month for me. My man’s birthday was last week and we also met each other for the first time on a cool October evening so I have a lot of romantic connections to the month. And naturally I always associate Halloween with wonderful things I love like horror films, candy, costumes and hot apple cider. I blame my sour mood this year on the countries current political climate. After living most of life under Republican/conservative rule I’ve grown extremely weary and just plain tired of it. With the strong possibility that the current administration and its cronies will do just about anything to stay in power, I’m finding it damn difficult to enjoy the season. Frankly, I find the idea of a McCain/Palin presidency and 4 more years similar to the last eight a more scary premise than any horror film I can think of at the moment. The election is very distracting and I hope that this nasty feeling of doom and gloom dissipates soon.

In the meantime, here’s a couple of great French pop songs about monsters and their makers from Serge Gainsbourg . . .

And if you’re looking for some more Halloween fun I recommend visiting last year’s Halloween post that was written when I was in a much more festive mood.

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Divine BB

by Kimberly Lindbergs | October 14, 2008

Categories | Soundtracks, Composers, French Cinema, Actresses, Serge Gainsbourg, Brigitte Bardot, yé-yé

If you’re a Brigitte Bardot fan I highly recommend picking up the latest Cinedelic Book/CD compilation simply called BB Brigitte Bardot. It’s a wonderful collection of beautiful photos of the actress, reproductions of classic movie poster art and music from many of Bardot’s most popular films including En effeuillant la marguerite (aka Plucking the Daisy/Mademoiselle Striptease), Et Dieu… créa la femme (aka …And God Created Woman), Une parisienne (aka La Parisienn), En cas de malheur (aka Love Is My Profession/In Case of Adversity), La Vérité (aka The Truth) and Le Mépris (aka Contempt). The music CD also contains some of the best pop songs that Bardot recorded with French composer Serge Gainsbourg and a complete filmography for the actress who retired in 1973.

“BB is the perfect combination of different notes and chords that all together sound like one perfect melody. Her power of seduction was God’s gift, her posture and famous walk matched her fame, as well as her enigmatic appeal that went far beyond mere beauty: it was more like a sensual instinct able to mesmerize and capture. Brigitte encompassed the meaning of beauty, freedom, transgression and quirkiness, yet the look in her eyes revealed a childlike naiveté of sorts, perfectly embodying the disquieting and mischievous elements of the classic femme fatale. This book is a tribute to Divine BB’s astounding career and includes movie posters, rare on-set pictures, the complete filmography and a CD with original music.” - Cinedelic

Cinedelic has really done a terrific job of gathering together some rare and wonderful material for BB Brigitte Bardot. The 150 page book and accompanying CD is the perfect introduction to the career of this talented actress and songstress, but it will undoubtedly be appreciated by Bardot’s longtime fans too.

Sample images from Cinedelic’s BB Brigitte Bardot Book/CD

I’ve seen numerous track listings for the CD online but none of them appear to be complete. If you’re considering purchasing the set it’s helpful to know exactly what you’re getting so I thought I’d share my own track listing with more detailed information about the composers and film scores featured on Cinedelic’s BB Brigitte Bardot CD. Hopefully others will find it useful.

Track Listing for BB Brigitte Bardot:
1. Poppea - Angelo Francesco Lavagnino from Mio figlio Nerone (Stefano Vanzina; 1956)
2. Strip Tease - Paul Misraki from En effeuillant la marguerite (Marc Allégret; 1956)
3. Scene Sentimentale - Paul Misraki from En effeuillant la marguerite (Marc Allégret; 1956)
4. Et Dieu Crea La Femme - Paul Misraki from Et Dieu… créa la femme (Roger Vadim; 1956)
5. Du Moi Quelques Choses D’Amour - Paul Misraki from Et Dieu… créa la femme (Roger Vadim; 1956)
6. Paris BB - Henri Crolla/André Hodeir/Hubert Rostaing from Une parisienne (Michel Boisrond; 1957)
7. La Parisienne - Henri Crolla/André Hodeir/Hubert Rostaing from Une parisienne (Michel Boisrond; 1957)
8. Theme A - René Cloërec from En cas de malheur (Claude Autant-Lara; 1958)
9. Theme B - René Cloërec from En cas de malheur (Claude Autant-Lara; 1958)
10. Yo Tengo Una Muneca - Xavier-Mitchell Y Su Quinteto from La Vérité (Henri-Georges Clouzot; 1960)
11. Le Mepris/Generique - Georges Delerue from Le Mépris (Jean-Luc Godard; 1963)
12. Camille - Georges Delerue from Le Mépris (Jean-Luc Godard; 1963)
13. Contact - Brigitte Bardot (composed by Serge Gainsbourg in 1967/68)
14. Harley Davidson - Brigitte Bardot (composed by Serge Gainsbourg in 1967/68)
15. Bonnie and Clyde - Brigitte Bardot & Serge Gainsbourg (composed by Serge Gainsbourg in 1967/68)
16. Plaisir D’Amour - Brigitte Bardot (composed by Jean-Paul Martini/Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian/Hector Berlioz; 1780)
17. Sur Le Boulevad Du Rhum - Brigitte Bardot (composed by François de Roubaix/Robert Enrico/Pierre Pelegri for the film Boulevard du rhum dir. Robert Enrico; 1971)
18. Je T’Aime BB - Bebo Best & The Super Lounge Orchestra (tribute song w/Brigitte Bardot vocal samples; 2008)

You can currently purchase the BB Brigitte Bardot Book/CD set at Amazon for $29.98 and used copies can be bought there for about $20.

I like a lot of the songs that Serge Gainsbourg composed for Brigitte Bardot and one of my favorites is the psychedelic space-age pop song Contact, which is available on the new Cinedelic CD. Below is a fabulous music video for Contact with the divine BB that I couldn’t resist sharing. It’s taken from her 1968 French television special Spécial Bardot. In the clip Bardot’s wearing a fantastic dress designed by Paco Rabanne and she looks like she just stepped off the set of Barbarella.

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DVD of the Week: Pierrot le fou (1965)

by Kimberly Lindbergs | February 24, 2008

Categories | Movie Reviews, French Cinema, DVD of the Week, Jean-Luc Godard, Criterion, yé-yé, Jean-Paul Belmondo

I’ve been trying to write out my thoughts about Jean-Luc Godard’s Pierrot le fou (1965) for days, but even after watching the film twice and enjoying all the wonderful extras included with the fantastic new Criterion DVD, I’m finding words inadequate to describe how much I’ve fallen in love with this wonderful movie in so short a time. My love for Pierrot le fou is so fresh, so passionate, so alive and so completely unabashed that I feel a little like a silly schoolgirl with a terrible crush on the cute new boy in class.

I’ve been curious about seeing Pierrot le fou for about 15 years after I came across still shots from the film featuring Jean-Paul Belmondo with his face painted bright blue. I also saw brief clips of the party scene from Pierrot le fou a few years ago in the fascinating Samuel Fuller documentary The Typewriter, the Rifle & the Movie Camera (Adam Simon; 1996) and became even more intrigued, but for one reason or another I never got around to watching it. I had hoped to attend the theatrical revival of the film last year, but sadly I wasn’t able to. As far as I know Pierrot le fou was never shown in the San Francisco Bay Area last year and the official Janus site seems to confirm this.

Thanks to Criterion’s recent DVD release of Pierrot le fou I was finally able to experience this amazing film for the first time and now I deeply regret not seeing it sooner. Pierrot le fou manages to combine everything I love about my two favorite Godard films (Contempt, 1963 and Week End, 1967) into one brilliant piece of work, while referencing every film the director had made before and predicting many of the more radical films he would make afterward. The basic plot of Pierrot le fou involves an unhappily married man named Ferdinand (Jean-Paul Belmondo) who meets up with an old flame named Marianne (Anna Karina) and the two abandon their old lives and begin a life of violent crime together. Unfortunately their combustible relationship begins to unravel under the stress of life on the run, but between their verbal sparing and love-making the audience is treated to a smart political and social satire with slapstick style comedy and an occasional musical number.

Pierrot le fou borrows elements from classic crime films such as Nicholas Ray’s They Live by Night (1948) and Joseph H. Lewis’ Gun Crazy (1950), but the film also takes a lot of inspiration from Jean-Luc Godard’s own Breathless (1960). It’s also worth noting that Pierrot le fou pre-dates Arthur Penn and Warren Beatty’s less interesting and more conventional Bonnie and Clyde (1967) by two years. For my money, none of the previously mentioned films come close to matching the offbeat magic conjured up in Pierrot Le fou by Godard and his two incredibly charming stars, Jean-Paul Belmondo and Anna Karina.

Pierrot le fou combines some of Jean-Luc Godard’s best writing and directing with stunning color photography by Godard’s longtime collaborator Raoul Coutard. The film manages to effortlessly mix comic-book style aesthetics with a painterly eye and the outcome is so wonderfully modern that Pierrot le fou still feels fresh and alive some 45 years after it was made.

Criterion’s magnificent two-disc restored widescreen DVD presentation of Pierrot le fou looks absolutely stunning and it’s loaded with fantastic extras, including a new video interview with actress Anna Karina who’s now 68 years old, and she offers some wonderful insights into the making of the film. The DVD also includes a new video program with audio commentary by filmmaker Jean-Pierre Gorin called A Pierrot Primer, a fascinating fifty-minute French documentary about director Jean-Luc Godard and his personal & working relationship with Anna Karina called Godard, L’Amour, La Poesie, a wonderful archival interview with the young and extremely adorable Jean-Paul Belmondo conducted while he was shooting Pierrot le fou and a brief archival piece about the Venice Film festival in 1965 that features interviews with Godard and Anna Karina. The DVD also contains the original theatrical trailer and a nice booklet with a new essay by critic Richard Brody, a 1969 review by Andrew Sarris and a 1965 interview with Godard. Pierrot le fou retails for $39.95 and it’s currently available from Amazon for $29.95. Criterion has really kicked-started 2008 by releasing some truly wonderful films on NTSC Region 1 DVD in recent weeks and I applaud them for it.

If you would like to see more screen shots from the film please see my Pierrot le fou Flickr gallery. I’ve also uploaded the wonderful song Ma ligne de chance that was sung by Anna Karina and Jean-Paul Belmondo in Pierrot le fou for anyone who would like to hear it.

- Ma ligne de chance (Anna Karina & Jean-Paul Belmondo)

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Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg at Cannes

by Kimberly Lindbergs | May 24, 2007

Categories | French Cinema, Actresses, Cannes 60th Anniversary, Serge Gainsbourg, yé-yé

While I was looking for old pictures from past Cannes Festivals I came across lots of great shots of the lovely British actress and singer Jane Birkin with her longtime partner, French singer and songwriter Serge Gainsbourg (who also acted and directed on occasion). I couldn’t resist sharing a few of the photos here.

Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg at Cannes, 1974

Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg at Cannes, 1969

Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg stroll the beach at Cannes, 1974

Jane Birkin is still recording music and making movies. She has also started directing and this week her first full-length feature film made it’s debut at the Cannes 60th Festival. Her film is called Boxes (2007) and it’s being shown out of competition. Besides directing the film, Birkin also stars in it along with veteran British actor John Hurt, the American actress Geraldine Chaplin and France’s wonderful Annie Girardot. Boxes has received mixed reviews, but it’s wonderful to see that Jane Birkin is still active and creative at age 60. She’s also still incredibly lovely!

For more information about Jane and her new movie Boxes visit her official website:

- Jane Birkin Online

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