Les Petites Vacances

The extras include Strictly Bernadette – a documentary short that is essentially an interview with Bernadette Lafont followed by two short films featuring her in her younger days as an actress. I can’t say that I was particularly impressed.

Firstly, the French subtitles from the original documentary frequently obscured the English subtitling. Secondly, the subtitles move far too fast so those who do not speak French would be forever hitting pause to try to catch up. Last but not least, I thought it self-indulgent and rather arch - as if Laffont was trying to deliberately shock the bourgeois viewer out of his/her complacency. She does not succeed. At least she did not with this viewer anyway. I just left, feeling that she fails in her ambition to present herself as a bohemian enfant terrible of Nouvelle Vague French cinema - she should just let her fine acting in Les Petites Vacances speak for itself.

The other two extras are two short films, A Tes Amours and Claquage Après Etirents. These films are both by Olivier Peyon. The first, A Tes Amours (To Love), features Jocelyne Desverchere and Guillaume Barbot as sister and her younger brother debating how to tell Celeste, his girlfriend, that he loves her. He begins by just blurting out that he loves Celeste but with coaxing from his sister, he comes out with a fantastic observation about her that clearly shows he does. This film is simple, direct and touching and beautifully done.

The second film, Claquage Après Etirents (Warm Ups, Torn Heart) features Beatrice Cheramy and Lise Lametrie, as two women, competing for the affection of the same man. This affords a different yet subtle view on the workings of love and lust and is beautifully acted and directed.