Talk about bizarre casting--having Brigitte Bardot playing a nun who is inexperienced when it comes to enticing men! That's like having Oliver Hardy write a diet book--it just doesn't work! So, from the outset, the premise is extremely flawed and might have worked a lot better with a more plain and less worldly actress. I have enjoyed Bardot in quite a few films, but imagine the star of "And God Created Woman" and "Contempt" in such a silly role! In addition, I am sure this must have ruffled a few feathers--a comedy about a nun who becomes a prostitute!! The film begins with Bardot in a nunnery for sexy girls age 18-35 (or so it would seem). Such an order would DEFINITELY not go unnoticed!! Anyway, the sexy nuns go on an outing to the beach and quickly shed their frocks for bathing suits. Do nuns EVER do this?! Well, in this bizarre film they evidently do!! For some reason we never understand, Bardot slips away and goes off to see the world. But because she is such a naive woman (!!!!), she is totally lost and is taken in by a prostitute. Without money or job skills, eventually she decides to become a professional woman herself--and is completely inept at the art of seduction(!!!). Again and again, she can't quite bring herself to follow through and actually sleep with anyone! This part of the film, while ridiculous, is at least a bit funny.
Eventually, Brigitte realizes she is NOT cut out for the life of a hooker and gets a real job driving an ambulance. However, her friend (the hooker with the heart of gold) soon realizes that they can combine the two professions--with Bardot driving an ambulance that makes house-calls, so to speak. In some ways, this is reminiscent of the later American film "Night Shift"--where morgue attendants use their facility as a brothel. There is a cute scene where a woman is in labor and is taken by police to this vehicle--though when the lady gives birth, it is the CLEANEST birth in the history of the planet! Unfortunately, around this time the film loses its steam and just kind of languishes aimlessly. Like the last Harry Potter book, they go on some sort of extended camping trip that seems to go on and on and on--with little actually justifying this little diversion. Stealing chickens, destroying their ambulance and more seem to occur for no reason whatsoever--like the film had run out of ideas. And so the film limps to a conclusion...very, very slowly.
This is a film I can only recommend to die-hard Bardot fans and the extremely curious. It's not a terrible film--it just doesn't make much sense and is poorly written. Sure, it has a few clever moments--but not enough to overcome all its deficiencies.
