For most of you, the attraction to this movie is its stunning star, Brigitte Lahaie. In a twist, she is not in that many sex scenes, spending most of her screen time in a supporting role. I won't be seeing all of her films, because they're hard to find in the States, but of the ones I have seen, she is at her most charming in La Rabatteuse.
She plays a woman with the singular talent, not some sex trick, but of being able to convince any woman, in seconds, to have sex with another man. You might think this would be a real nice girlfriend to have. Even better, and less complicated, if she is your best friend's girlfriend. That's exactly the role she plays here. Her boyfriend leaves on a business trip, leaving Brigitte in the care of his best friend and encourages him to let B work her magic for him. The pair hasn't even left the airport dining room when he asks her to start off with a stewardess played by Karine Gambier.
Karine comes to visit the lucky guy, Robert, played Ghislain Van Hove, at a dinner party for three. Robert wants to serve dessert, but the two horny gals pull him into the parlor and make him their dessert. Not only does he have his way with the stew, he gets a throw at Brigitte, too. His best friend's girl! Oh, those French.
The next day or so the two go shopping for lingerie, and Brigitte tries on a virginal nightgown, with Robert and the sales clerk, Danielle Troeger, in the fitting room with her. Big fitting room. Big enough for the clerk to strip down and try on the same model of nightgown, at B's urging, then lose it and her G-string and try on Robert. At B's urging.
A horny countess, played by Emmanuelle Parèze, pays a visit the next evening and there isn't much to be said about this scene other than they try to slow her down and don't really succeed.
Sitting in a sidewalk café, a mother and daughter are at a neighboring table. Robert leaves and Brigitte engages the pair in a sisterly conversation. Cut to Robert's parlor where the daughter, the legendary France Lomay, is guided by her Mom, played by the ordinary Marion Schulz, into the ways of love. They might have had The Talk before this, but Mom is now taking her charge through her first Practical Examination. A naked Brigitte orchestrates the ménage à quatre. After Robert has initiated France's loins, Mom gets a turn.
In movie pacing, directors condense what might be a fifteen-minute real-life encounter to about three. In sex movies, there is the meeting and the set-up, which can take about that much screen time, before the good stuff begins. After a while, though, all you want is the good stuff. That's what you get now. In quick succession, Robert goes through five women: cinema usherette Nicole Velna, dog-walker Samantha, pedestrian Alexandra Sand, petite shopgirl Claude Janna, and pedestrian Barbara Moose. The first four ladies get less than five minutes apiece: ten-second encounter, set-up off screen, then enter Robert's apartment, parlor, and undress, about twenty seconds, make an oral howdy-do to Robert, and let the fun begin. Barbara's scene concludes the film, with the countess coming back for an encore. When her chauffeur crashes the party, there are two men and three women (Brigitte, heretofore a naked non-participant, is back, giving it and getting it), with more hook-ups in more ways and you have to be taking notes to keep track of it all. If Brigitte's boyfriend were to show up the combinations would involve French mathematics currently beyond my comprehension (though I'm a quick study).
Men, if you have ever had the fantasy of having every woman you want to say Yes (do I really need to ask), this film is for you. Women, if you have ever had the fantasy that you just want to cut through the crap and get down to it, this film is for you. What more does it need to offer?
Filmed with high production values, imaginative "choreography," and lots of pretty women. Robert is quite fine, too. If you could have only one sex film (silly thought), this one would be a pretty good choice.
