Les Biches

Bored, wealthy Parisian socialite Frederique (Stéphane Audran, then director Claude Chabrol's wife and the star of many of his films) picks up young sidewalk artist Why (Jacqueline Sassard), brings her home, offers her a nice hot bath and coffee, and seduces her. Then Why follows Frederique to the latter's Saint-Tropez villa, where they alter their sensuous encounters with wild parties for the idle rich. At one of these parties, Why meets Paul (Jean-Louis Trintignant), a handsome young architect, and immediately falls for him. Jealous Frederique intervenes only to lure Paul into her own arms, and the two soon depart for Paris, leaving Why alone with her frustration at the villa. Though often labeled the French Hitchcock, here Chabrol consciously abandons suspense for adult-oriented drama.