Recommended Viewing: In The French Style (1963)

Jean Seberg and Phillippe Forquet

I spent the majority of last week bedridden with a particularly nasty bout of the flu. Thankfully, I had Turner Classic Movies to keep me company throughout my recovery. During this time, I watched quite a few films, including In The French Style (1963) starring the lovely Jean Seberg as an American art student living in France. The film follows Catherine (Seberg) over the course of four years and several love affairs as she makes the transition from idealistic adolescent to sophisticated, worldly young woman. After her father pays a visit, Catherine finds herself caught between a passionate romance and the carefree, glamorous joie de vivre of the jet-setting Parisian elite on the one hand and the more mundane realities of familial obligation and adult responsibility back in the States on the other. Notably, the film also features Phillippe Forquet, former fiancée of Sharon Tate, in the role of Catherine’s teenage lover, Guy.

Unfortunately, as is the case with many of Seberg's films, In The French Style is currently unavailable on DVD. Hopefully this will change in the not-so-distant future. I'd highly encourage anyone who appreciates 1960s cinema or French culture to watch this film. And of course, it is a must-see for any Jean Seberg fan!

Recommended Viewing: The V.I.P.s (1963)

The V.I.P.s is a 1963 film gem starring off-screen couple Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Elizabeth Taylor plays Frances, a pampered society wife neglected by her businessman tycoon husband (Richard Burton). Frances's plan to run away with her suave French playboy lover (Louis Jourdan) is foiled by a flight delay. The situation is further complicated by spurned husband Paul's unexpected appearance on the scene in a last-ditch attempt to win back his estranged wife. Thus, Frances is faced with the predicament of choosing between the two men vying for her affections.

I enjoyed this film much more than I expected to. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton are one of my all-time favorite celebrity couples. The V.I.P.s is Liz Taylor is at her glamorous best. She is outfitted in a stunning wardrobe designed by Givenchy. (The pink gown pictured above is simply to die for!) And how could I forget all of the fabulous jewelry?! (Clearly a case of art imitating life.)

The V.I.P.s is available on DVD as a part of the wonderful Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton Film Collection.