Der kleine Tod der feinen Damen

Brantôme (c. 1537 - 1614), commendatory (or secular) abbot of Brantôme Abbey and lord of Saint-Crépin de Richemont, was a French soldier and writer , best known for his "light" writings recounting his life as a courtier and soldier and that of the illustrious people he met. (wikipedia)

After a fall off a horse he began to write his memoirs , a romantic refined ruffianly soldier, who preferred to make love than war; Richard Bohringer is well cast as the colorful lover who reportedly never left one of his mistresses. The movie avoids vulgarity and it's got subtle humor going for it :one of his numerous mistresses,Victoire (Isabella Rossellini), sexually "killed" ,so to speak ,three husbands ,and ,during an interminable confession before the Extreme Unction ,a catholic priest (and she asked for a Protestant minister too, just in case.....)Good idea to cast an Italian actress (laura Betti) as Catherine De Médicis ; the movie may seem sometimes monotonous ,but a bevy of beautiful dames makes up for it.