Le fruit défendu

A rather derivative, though heartfelt, tale of middle-aged depression and obsession for the "forbidden fruit" of youth and escape from imposed social conventions, but the film is worth seeing primarily for the three leads: Fernandel gives an effectively subdued, restrained performance in a change-of-pace role (with only one extended comedy scene), Françoise Arnoul is just as sexy as Bardot if not more, constantly teasing the censorship rules of the era and flirting with complete nudity, and Claude Nollier is superb as Fernandel's wife. Be warned, however: despite Georges Simenon's name on the credits, there are absolutely zero crime elements in this picture from beginning to end. **1/2 out of 4.