On a sheer entertainment level this film delivers some good gags, a breezy delivery, and of course the incomparable talents of Ms Brigitte Bardot to breathe her signature innocence into a sexually charged role. But, much like watching Al Jolson do blackface in the 1927 classic "The Jazz Singer", this movie requires a lot of... shall we say, 'nostalgic license'?
Plot: an 18 year old female writer (played by 22 year old Bardot) runs away to Paris to try to get published, since her ultra conservative hometown and ultra-ultra conservative father is not so accommodating. In Paris nobody bothers to read her manuscripts (and in fact the whole premise of her being a writer disappears in the first 15 mins) as every male tries to seduce, grope, manipulate and objectify her. The worst part is that she herself soon becomes resigned to being a simple object of desire, forsaking any greater ambitions, and deeper plot themes, than to snare the most eligible suitor. What began with a great setup (a talented female writer cracking the male dominated field) devolves into a basic boy(s)-chase-girl formula. And she goes along with it.
On the plus side: Toward the end it turns into a fun little Shakespearean comedy of errors & mistaken identities, and that is the story's saving grace. I just wish some of the other scenes, like all the drooling office workers propositioning anyone wearing a skirt, could've been toned down. Like seriously, male office workers randomly groping and kissing coworkers may have been funny to audiences 60 years ago, but it's a little disturbing today, and that kept distracting me from the real strengths of the film.
As a historical document detailing the unique career of Brigitte Bardot, this film deserves its place. It shows her to be a naïve yet morally confident young woman who can handle herself in tough situations without losing sight of her femininity. Unfortunately this role kept her submissive the whole time, so it's as if this early work was just a primer for her later roles where she triumphs. I would sooner suggest watching "Naughty Girl" released the same year (1956), where Bardot shines with her impish portrayal of a young girl who is smart enough to turn all the drooling men into playthings, rather than this where she seems to be just below that level of command.
