Three generations of beautiful women join forces to turn their impoverished fortune around by turning their gorgeous estate into a bed and breakfast, and they attract the most eclectic of guests. If it isn't a feuding couple on a date arguing over the weather, it's a family of a bunch of young children running around with the parents disagreeing about everything, obvious criminal types and a bank robber with a briefcase full of cash that the police are after. Madeleine Renaud is the still gorgeous matriarch, white haired yet smooth skinned, dressed to the nines and charming everybody she encounters. Daughter Maria Schell is trying to hang onto her glamour girl image, and son Jean Rochefort runs around in desperation trying to fulfill all of his mother's orders. There's also a piano playing cousin, Clotilde Joano, cool according to her and isn't much good for anything.
Then there's the baron played by Yves Montand who sings to be based on John Barrymore's character from "Grand Hotel", or as his character was described, "nothing more pathetic than an nobleman without money", although his briefcase indicates something quite different even if it isn't his. There's lots of witty dialogue, some terrific chase sequences, a great use of music and costumes of the 60s that are very pastel and delightful to look at, pure camp. I'm not much of a connoisseur of foreign language films, but found this one very easy to enjoy with its light-hearted atmosphere, glamorous setting and a delightful mix of a variety of personalities. It's definitely a feast for the eye even for those who struggle with subtitles and don't know French.
Then there's the baron played by Yves Montand who sings to be based on John Barrymore's character from "Grand Hotel", or as his character was described, "nothing more pathetic than an nobleman without money", although his briefcase indicates something quite different even if it isn't his. There's lots of witty dialogue, some terrific chase sequences, a great use of music and costumes of the 60s that are very pastel and delightful to look at, pure camp. I'm not much of a connoisseur of foreign language films, but found this one very easy to enjoy with its light-hearted atmosphere, glamorous setting and a delightful mix of a variety of personalities. It's definitely a feast for the eye even for those who struggle with subtitles and don't know French.