Synopsis: Brigitte Bardot is at her naughtiest as the precocious schoolgirl of a Parisian nightclub owner who, when suspected of forgery, flees the city and entrusts Brigitte’s safety to a playboy lounge singer. As his life is turned upside down by “le grand bébé,” Bardot burns up the screen in her legendary Technicolor dance sequences.
Co-written by Roget Vadim (And God Created Women) and co-starring Michel Serrault (La Cage Aux Folles), Naughty Girl is one of Bardot’s sauciest romantic comedies.
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Until this film, I thought that farces were only enjoyable when made by the French and British. Well, this one proves that even they can go wrong. 
‘Cette sacrée gamine’ is strictly an excuse for an odd coupling and multiple dance numbers featuring one of its stars, Brigitte Bardot. Oh, and the other star sings… in a dated cabaret style that I find unpalatable. 
The numbers themselves are sometimes so poorly conceived that the choreography doesn’t even work – it’s not unusual to see multiple dancers out of sync with one another. 
There are, however, a few acrobatic acts that are quite impressive. 
As for showcasing Bardot… well, she’s good, but not great – so I have to wonder why she was cast in this role, aside from the fact that she could look the part (she’s supposed to be approximately 15!). I suspect that her producer-husband may have had something to do with her involvement, seeing as he co-wrote this, but I don’t actually know for sure. Bardot does hold her own, acting-wise, mind you – which was a nice surprise, as I would have expected another slab of over-acting on her part.
The pairing off with Jean Bretonnière works, although there’s only artificial chemistry to be seen on-screen. Bretonnière plays a cabaret singer who, in his devotion to his boss, takes in his daughter while he is away. In a very short time, her unexpected whirlwind presence throws his life in a tailspin, providing us with poorly done slapstick and predictable gags.
Personally, I found it all too silly to offer any praise. Whereas Blake Edwards and Peter Sellers managed to make silliness work, this cast and crew don’t. But, hey, they couldn’t even do basic things like fight scenes adequately: in the chaotic finale, hordes of men beat each other to a pulp, with nary a blow looking realistic – you could tell that they were all missing each other! 
While I didn’t suffer in watching this film, I can hardly recommend it. If someone likes screwball comedies, then perhaps they could cautiously consider this one. Cautiously… because it’s not exemplary of the genre. Still, perhaps there’s some fun to be squeezed out of ‘Cette sacrée gamine’ – even if I wasn’t able to.
thecriticaleye 