Renée known as Guinguette, a former prostitute , earned enough money on the Parisian sidewalk to be able to buy her dream: an open air dance hall by the water. Her new lover, Marco, offers to use an unused adjoining barn to store used cars in which he deals. But the "opportunities" are actually stolen cars, and the charming Marco, a bad boy.

With a good cast , fine lines by Henri Jeanson, this is a nostalgic look at the guinguettes ,those open air dance halls which had begun to disappear in the late fifties ,a place depicted by the masters of the French cinema ,Jean Renoir ("une partie de campagne" ) Julien Duvivier ("la belle équipe" ) and Jacques Becker ( "casque d'or") ; Jean Delannoy is not to be mentioned in the same breath as them,but he was a solid craftsman ,as well as one of the bêtes noires of the notorious New Wavelet .

Zizi Jeanmaire ,essentially a dancer , is not exactly the character (the Arletty of the late fifties nohow) but she manages quite well ;the stand out is definitely Paul Meurisse who blows everyone off the screen every time he comes up ;on the other hand ,Italian B movie starlet Cristina Gaioni puts on her Brigitte Bardot act ,but only BB is BB, and her exaggerated swagger makes her a caricature of a nymphomaniac ;too bad for her character is not unlike Danielle Delorme's in Duvivier's highly superior "voici le temps des assassins " (1956) the best scenes of which took place in a guinguette too ; she's a sex kitten ,but she's pure evil too :don't we learn that her grandma's fall in the stairs was perhaps not an accident?

Half comedy and half drama ,it's certainly watchable even though the guinguettes have become a thing of the past.

French-language cinema, whether in France, Québec, or other Francophone regions, explores cultural identity, social change, and the tension between the individual and society. French cinema is not only celebrated for its intellectual experimentation and auteur traditions, but also its success in mainstream comedy, romance, and commercial entertainment. In Québec, films often focus on questions of language, belonging, and community within a distinct cultural landscape.

Jean-Pierre Léaud in The 400 Blows (1959)

The comedy genre refers to a category of entertainment that aims to amuse and entertain audiences by using humor, wit, and comedic situations. Comedies are created with the primary intention of eliciting laughter and providing lighthearted enjoyment. They encompass a wide range of styles, tones, and themes, appealing to various tastes and audiences.

Will Ferrell, Angela Grillo, and Lap-Gei Cheung in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

The crime genre features criminal activities, investigations, law enforcement, crimes, and the pursuit of justice. Crime stories often revolve around the planning, execution, and consequences of criminal acts, as well as the efforts to solve and prevent such acts. They explore various aspects of criminal behavior, motives, and the moral dilemmas faced by both perpetrators and those seeking to uphold the law.

James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)

The romance genre features the theme of romantic relationships and emotional connections between characters. These stories focus on the development of love, desire, and intimacy between protagonists, often exploring the challenges, conflicts, and triumphs that arise in their relationships.

Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942)

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood's perfect pairs.

Hollywood Power Couples

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood&#39;s perfect pairs.

"The Gentlemen" and "Slow Horses" return this fall, while the "Reacher" spin-off series "Neagley" makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

2026 Fall TV and Streaming Watch Guide

&quot;The Gentlemen&quot; and &quot;Slow Horses&quot; return this fall, while the &quot;Reacher&quot; spin-off series &quot;Neagley&quot; makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

Get a closer look at these actors from their many TV and streaming series roles.

Guinguette

Photos

Top Cast30

User reviews1

Related interests

Storyline

Did you know

Top picks

Details

Tech specs

Contribute to this page

More to explore

Recently viewed