LA PISCINE (Jacques Deray, 1969)

(Directed by Jacques Deray from a script by Deray, Jean-Claude Carrière, and Alain Page; starring Romy Schneider, Alain Delon, Maurice Ronet, and Jane Birkin. Released 31 January 1969; watched 2023w35 via Criterion Channel)

I love a good smoldery slow burn as much as the next guy who loves a good smoldery slow burn, but Deray's tapestry of insanely sexy people having insanely sexy people problems and sex along the Riviera with (more than) a dash of borderline personality disorder – especially on Delon's part – thrown in for good measure, was too much smolder and not enough burn.

That being said, all of the insanely sexy people bounding in and out of the eponymous pool turned in great performances (RIP Jane Birkin), especially Delon and Schneider (whose dynamic did, thanks in no small part to their offscreen history, remind me of Cruise and Kidman's in EYES WIDE SHUT (or rather, the other way 'round) – itself a not-dissimilar take on jealousy's devastation which I've been meaning to revisit), and I particularly enjoyed seeing Delon play someone with a (sexy) screw loose, given that my primary exposure to his work has, thus far, been via his more composed and effortless cool performances for Jean-Pierre Melville (mem: need to rewatch LE SAMURAI and LE CERCLE ROUGE – been far too long).

TLDR: Glad I saw it, but not one whose not-insignificant legacy I care to proselytize or revisit anytime soon.