''Le Voyage en douce'' is a 1980 French

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by

Michel Deville Michel Deville (born 13 April 1931) is a French film director and screenwriter. Deville started his filmmaking career in the late 1950s, paralleling the emergence of the French New Wave directors. He never achieved the level of critical and int ...

. The screenplay is shaped around 15 different sexual anecdotes, penned by 15 writers. The film stars

Dominique Sanda Dominique Marie-Françoise Renée Varaigne (born 11 March 1951), professionally known as Dominique Sanda, is a French actress and former fashion model. Life and career Sanda was born in Paris, to Lucienne (née Pichon) and Gérard Varaigne. She ...

and

Geraldine Chaplin Geraldine Leigh Chaplin (born July 31, 1944) is an American actress. She is the daughter of Charlie Chaplin, the first of eight children with his fourth wife, Oona O'Neill. After beginnings in dance and modeling, she turned her attention to act ...

. It was entered into the

30th Berlin International Film Festival The 30th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 18–29 February 1980. The Golden Bear was awarded to the American film ''Heartland'' directed by Richard Pearce and West German film '' Palermo oder Wolfsburg'' directed by Werne ...

Plot

Disillusioned with the men in their lives, two friends, Hélène (Sanda) and Lucie (Chaplin) embark on a journey together to the South of France. As the pair continue to travel they recount their sexual histories, and repeat some of them along the journey.

Cast

as Hélène *

as Lucie *

Jacques Zabor Jacques Zabor (June 28, 1941 – November 22, 2007) was a French actor and comedian. In 1980 he starred in '' Le Voyage en douce'' under director Michel Deville Michel Deville (born 13 April 1931) is a French film director and screenwriter. ...

as Denis * Jean Crubelier as L'homme des maisons *

Valerie Masterson Margaret Valerie Masterson (born 3 June 1937), is a retired English opera singer, a lecturer and Vice-President of British Youth Opera. After study in Italy, she began to sing opera in Europe. Returning to England, Masterson performed as princ ...

as La cantatrice * Cécile Le Bailly as Marie *

Jacqueline Parent Jacqueline Parent is a French actress. In 1980 she starred in ''Le Voyage en douce'' directed by Michel Deville. Selected filmography *'' The Big Night'' (1976) *''The Police War'' (1979) *''Le Voyage en douce'' (1980) *''Malevil ''Malevil' ...

as Mathilde * Jacques Pieiller as Pinson *

Liliane Rovère Liliane Rovère (born 30 January 1933) is a French actress. Personal life In 1955, she went to the United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country pr ...

as The Voice * Françoise Morhange as La grand-mère * Frédéric Andréi as Le jeune homme de l'hôtel *

Christophe Malavoy Christophe Malavoy (born 21 March 1952 in Reutlingen, West Germany), is a French actor. Selected filmography References External links

* 1952 births Living people 20th-century French male actors French male film actors Most Promising ...

as L'homme du train * André Marcon as L'homme du concert

Reception

Janet Maslin Janet R. Maslin (born August 12, 1949) is an American journalist, best known as a film and literary critic for ''The New York Times''. She served as a ''Times'' film critic from 1977 to 1999 and as a book critic from 2000 to 2015. In 2000 Maslin ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' praised the ambiguous nature of Hélène and Lucie's relationship; "its teasing is effective, thanks particularly to Miss Sanda, who is as beautiful and insolently alluring here as she has ever been. With timing that is constantly surprising, with a knowing sensuality just this side of brazeness, Miss Sanda is enough reason to see the movie. And she and Miss Chaplin share an abandon that is intricately balanced, and gracefully played." Maslin felt that the film was "finally aimless" but that it was still "seductive all the same."Maslin, Janet. ''The Screen: "Voyage en Douce," 2 Frenchwomen on a Journey'', pp. 20. The New York Times. 9 April 1981. Retrieved on 30 July 2011

References

External links

* 1980 films 1980 drama films 1980 LGBT-related films 1980s French-language films French LGBT-related films Lesbian-related films Films directed by Michel Deville Gaumont Film Company films LGBT-related drama films 1980s French films {{1980s-France-film-stub