Anna Karina, the muse of Jean-Luc Godard as well as my own personal style icon, sweetens the screen in this rather twisted romantic comedy. Who else but Ms. Karina could successfully appear as an naive strip-tease artist in 1960's France? With every bat of her eyelashes, it's no surprise that her character, Angela, is used to getting her own way.

What Angela desperately wants is to be a mother. She persistantly drives her boyfriend, Emile, crazy with her constant begging for a child. "I want a baby. By tomorrow" In the heat of an argument, she threatens to go to Emile's friend Alfred for a baby, and goodness knows Alfred would be up for it. He spends his afternoons waiting for Angela to leave work so he can follow her around and profess his love for her. Some friend he is to Emile, eh?

Without thinking she would actually go through with an affair with Alfred, even for the sake of conceiving a child, Emile agrees to Angela's preposterous idea. And what d'ya know? Angela decides to meet Alfred for a date.

While out with Alfred, it becomes clear to Angela that what she really wants more than a baby, is to be back with her boyfriend. But is it too late?

This movie is not for the prude, to be sure. There are themes of sexual exploration as well as brief nudity. But even with such an odd plot and its quirky 1960's experimental soundtrack, I found A Woman Is a Woman to be lots of fun, giggle inducing, and definitely inspiring visually. I'd say it's definitely worth a watch or two! (…or three, or four if you get distracted and forget to follow along with the subtitles!)

In my mind, Doris Day is the reigning virginal Hollywood actress. Her characters are often squeaky clean, all smiles, and are never comfortable with pillowtalk unless it is with her respective husband (Rock Hudson, anyone?). Leave it to Cary Grant to change all of that.

In That Touch of Mink, it seems that none of the fellas can get it through their thick skulls that Cathy Timberlake is just not that kind of girl. Cathy’s quite happy on her high horse, as unemployable as she is, until quite by accident, she’s wooed by millionaire Mr. Shayne (Cary Grant), who whisks her away on a trip to Bermuda. In a hotel. With one bed. And plenty of alcohol. It’s enough to make Cathy break out in hives, which, of course, she does- ruining the romantic getaway and further proving that she just really isn’t that kind of girl. Though, in fear of losing Mr. Shayne‘s interest, and despite advice from her roommate, she sets out to win him back with whatever womanly wiles she can muster.

The movie is full of hilarious innuendos, all as wholesome as you might expect from an early 1960‘s film, though more daring than you might have thought ’62 could muster. Doris Day is at her finest in this film, without the need for breaking out into song (just hives), and keeping her normally squealy voice down to a minimum. (Sometimes that lady is just too much for me. I will admit.)

In That Touch of Mink, the characters could easily be seen as 1962 caricatures, mid century cliches shine through (though not too glaringly), and the comedy is just screw ball enough to be delightful, though restrained enough to be tasteful. In all honesty, I would have to declare That Touch of Mink to be my favorite 1960’s comedy. (Ask me later, and I reserve the right to change my mind. As always!)

An exiled man on the heels of an arsen trial, Ben Quick enters into a small Mississippi town and finds himself a job on a plantation with two beautiful women, one jealous young man, and a rough and tumble landowner, Mr. Varner, who is used to getting his way. But Mr. Quick, armed with a reputation as a barn burner, is quite used to having his own way as well.

Ben’s a comer, as the men of the town say. He swindles his way into Mr. Varner’s good favor, charms, or rather fumbles his way into the heart of the steely Miss Varner, and riles up the whole entire town in the process. You’re never too sure of what to think of this Ben Quick fellow, and it’s awfully tempting to judge his character just as the rest of the town does.

Appearing in their first cinematic pairing, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward easily make sparks fly during The Long, Hot Summer. Their union lasted until Newman’s death in 2008, and is still remembered as one of the longest lasting marriages in Hollywood history. Knowing how much they loved each other in real life, and watching them play through their characters’ teasing, shunning, and longing for eachother, makes watching this film even more enjoyable.