User Reviews

A wealthy businessman, member of the "haute bourgeoisie", becomes ill with what seems like food poisoning. As his condition deteriorates, he begins to suspect his wife from poisoning him deliberately. In between ever more atrocious bouts of delirium and pain he reflects on an uneven and ill-advised marriage...

"Bébé Donge", based on a book by Simenon, is both a thriller and a tragedy. It is an indictment of those humans who marry quickly and stupidly, without taking the time to study their prospective partner closely and to ask the fundamental questions : what do you expect from life, what do you expect from marriage, what do you expect from me ? Do you actually like me ? It is also an indictment of those fools who encourage that kind of behaviour, amidst many a cry of "love will come later" or "you will have all the time in the world in which to get acquainted".

While not a feminist tract, the movie also has some insightful things to say about the age-old double standard. (You know what I mean : a woman should be a timid virgin before marriage and, later on, a faithful wife, but a man - whatever his age or condition - can jump whatever moves him. And his wife shouldn't get all weird about it, because he's a good provider.)

A dark, sombre movie, but well worth a watch, with a Gabin and a Darrieux on fire.

Henri Decoin, a great unsung French director, was never better than when directing Danielle Darrieux and the proof lies in the nine top-class movies they made together both during and after their six-year marriage (six during, three after); indeed if one were seeking a new definition of 'civilized' you could do a lot worse than cite this working relationship. With a nice touch of irony Francois Donge (Jean Gabin) lying in a hospital bed after wife Elizabeth 'Bebe'(Danielle Darrieux) has slipped a little mercury where it will do the most good and forgiven her, instructs her to continue planning their tenth wedding anniversary, whereas in real life Decoin and Darrieux were celebrating the tenth anniversary of their divorce. At 34 Darrieux was at the height of her powers and as radiant as any actress on any screen in any world. The script requires her to progress from wide-eyed idealist to bruised maturity and she takes it in her stride. They could have saved a mint on the budget because Darrieux wears Balmain throughout and this is rank extravagance on an actress who can make a Woolworth's dress look like Balmain. In the cold war aspects of the relationship Gabin turns in a prototype of the relationship he would enjoy with Simone Signoret in Le Chat although that relationship lacked light relief. Everyone is on top of their game here, Decoin, Gabin, Darrieux and Gabrielle Dorziat who punctuates the action like a good fairy who's been nobbled. I can't praise this one too highly. A gem.

In fact, make that three heavy-hitters, if you include Georges Simenon, on whose book this film is based. The acting, as you would expect, is top-notch, and the themes at the core of the film are interesting (how far could a person go when their love is not reciprocated? How far can you push someone by your sheer indifference to their feelings?). However, "La vérité Sur Bébé Donge" is way overlong and much too verbose; the entire 15 minutes with the "matchmaker" at the start, for example, could have been chopped off. By the end, you can see very clearly what this film was trying to accomplish; the problem is that it takes the country road getting there. ** out of 4.

This film, which seems to drag on forever, is a major disappointment. Not what you'd expect when the fine but under-rated Henri Decoin directs two of France's greatest stars in a Simenon adaptation. Perhaps the blame should be shared between Maurice Auberge's ponderous, excessively talky script, and the unattractiveness of the character Gabin plays. The main interest is in wondering to what extent that character is a Simenon self-portrait.

Francois Donge is a cynical, stolid, well-off, middle-aged businessman who owns a smelly tannery. Having been nagged by a matchmaker that he should be married he marries his brother's future sister-in-law, the much younger Elizabeth, nicknamed Baby. The two are mutually incompatible, the marriage is a disaster and (hell having no fury like a woman scorned) Baby ends up poisoning him. I've never seen a better argument for living together before taking the plunge: it's the only way to really get to know one another, and can save long years of misery. Darrieux was 35 when this was made, but so enchanting that she convinces as a foolishly romantic young woman, even girl. Gabin was thirteen years older but the age gap seems much wider. It's hard to believe in him as the object of Bebe's romanticism, especially as Francois makes it clear he doesn't believe there's such a thing as love. He's focused on his work and sex with his mistresses, though Gabin doesn't look as if he has the energy for all that. Money and power are great aphrodisiacs for gold-diggers, but Baby isn't that sort of girl, so her initial enthusiasm makes no sense.

I've seen four of Decoin's other films ("Les Intrigantes", "Bonnes a Tuer", "Tous peuvent me tuer' and 'La Chatte.") All more interesting and involving than this.