The Twist (film)
The Twist is a 1976 film co-written and directed by Claude Chabrol. Its title in French is Folies bourgeoises (literally - bourgeois madness).
| The Twist | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Claude Chabrol |
| Produced by | Alexander Salkind Ilya Salkind Pierre Spengler |
| Screenplay by | Claude Chabrol Ennio de Concini Norman Enfield |
| Based on | Le Malheur Fou by Lucie Faure |
| Starring | Bruce Dern Stéphane Audran Ann-Margret |
| Music by | Manuel De Sica |
| Cinematography | Jean Rabier |
| Edited by | Monique Fardoulis |
Production company | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 107 minutes |
| Country | France Italy West Germany |
| Language | French English |
Plot
The film follows a bored, upper class group of Parisians who embark on a series of affairs with each other.
Principal cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Bruce Dern | William Brandels |
| Stéphane Audran | Claire Brandels |
| Sydne Rome | Nathalie |
| Jean-Pierre Cassel | Jacques Lavolet, l'éditeur |
| Ann-Margret | Charlie Minerva |
| Maria Schell | Gretel |
| Sybil Danning | La secrétaire |
| Charles Aznavour | Dr. Lartigue |
| Curd Jürgens | Le bijoutier |
| Tomás Milián | Le détective |
| Claude Chabrol | Le client chez l'éditeur (uncredited) |
Critical reception
Glenn Davidson of Turner Classic Movies:
[T]he story cannot decide whether it is a romantic farce, a serious look at relationships, or a setup for a series of erotic daydreams experienced by a troubled married couple... The Twist is a confused and halfhearted comedy of manners that never decides on an approach to its subject... Although the film does have a few interesting moments, it is cluttered with pointless digressions and unfunny comedy.[1]
Michael Barrett of PopMatters:
Chabrol's typical themes don't fit so well into wacky-comedy mode (given that French wacky comedies usually are no funnier than American ones) and not so easily into surreal-fantasy mode either. The chicly transgressive dreams seem intended to remind us of Luis Buñuel's French films of this era, but it suffers in the comparison. Where the film wants to be frothy and sexy, it looks grating. What tries to look smart looks dumb.[2]
References
- "The Twist (Folies bourgeoises)". Tcm.com. Retrieved 2011-08-25.
- Barrett, Michael. "A Double Dose of Claude Chabrol: 'Just Before Nightfall' and 'Twist' < PopMatters". Popmatters.com. Retrieved 2011-08-25.