Come Dance with Me! (1959)

Come Dance with Me is an odd film, more reminiscent of one of Alfred Hitchcock's lighter moments, in particular, his collaborations with Cary Grant. The character of her husband, though, does little to solve the mystery, making him an anti-Cary Grant as his wife, played by Bardot is the key figure in solving the mystery.Of course the point, towards the end, when the film deals openly with a dark and sordid homosexual subculture differentiates it from the English and American cinema of the day which would never have tackled such a topic so openly.(On that note, it is worth mentioning that the film may sit uncomfortably with those viewers in favour of homosexual rights today as the subculture is shown to be depraved and, ultimately, murderous. Those not in favour of homosexual rights will find that it shows the seedy world of the gays in a direct, unsanitised fashion that stands in contrast to the current climate of political correctness.) The acting throughout the film is stiff and it is unclear at times whether this was meant to be a comedy or a light drama. One is disappointed that the potential for a locked-room mystery is quickly dismissed only to be delighted as more twists are introduced showing that the case is more complex than it first appears.(As an aside, on the topic of locked room mysteries, Bardot makes some delightful references to France's most famous fictional novel of that type, Leroux's Mystery of the Yellow Room.) Of course, there is little character development in a film of this type and the acting is never particularly strong but there is a breezy feel and the performances are competent. Most notable is a cameo by a young Serge Gainsbourg as a sinister blackmail co-conspirator.There is little in the way of adventurous cinematography but the setting of Bardot's house would have seemed strikingly modern at the time and the use of light colour helps, once again, emphasise the bright mood of this piece.In contrast, the homosexual club is shown to be a dark, seedy place and Bardot stands out as a radiant figure surrounded by the depraved clientèle.The use of flashback to reconstruct the murder at the end is a solid, if timeworn technique.Some aspects of the plot's construction make little sense, however. The fact that the husband is a dentist never seems particularly significant, nor does the dance hall setting. A slightly tighter structure and more emphasis on the symbolic would have lifted this film's rating quite significantly.In conclusion, this is a straightforward film with a light-hearted feel that takes a sudden dark turn towards the end. The murder mystery is quite clever and deals with a sordid underworld rarely depicted in film at that time. The abrupt change of tone is somewhat problematic, though. Bardot is the key figure as she adopts the role of an amateur detective and though it may not be a role best suited to her, she does a credible job. There are enough plot turns after the initial expectation of a locked-room mystery is dismissed to keep the film interesting and there is a strong late-1950s French atmosphere invoked throughout. Recommended.

Virginie Dandieu (Brigitte Bardot) finds her husband standing over the corpse of the dance instructor who had been blackmailing him. Convinced of his innocence, Virginie lands a job at the dance studio to investigate the murder and clear her husband. Between the police, the suspects in the dance studio, and her family, Virginie's got her work cut out for her.Come Dance with Me is at worst a mildly entertaining mystery with bit of humor mixed in for good measure. You'll never fall out of your seat laughing out loud, but a few scenes did bring a smile to my face. The mystery elements suffer a bit because it's the kind of movie where you know everything will work out in the end.This was my first experience watching a Brigitte Bardot movie. And it certainly won't be my last. Bardot had a screen presence that's hard to beat. She is the center of every scene in which she appears regardless of what she's doing or not doing. It's impossible to watch a scene and not have your eyes glued to her every movement. I can't wait to discover more of her films.

"Come Dance With Me" was probably meant as an airy mystery-comedy, but it's mostly stage-bound and talky. What's more, I guessed who the killer was (though admittedly not his motive) 15 minutes into the film, and if you've ever read even one Agatha Christie story before, you'll have no problem guessing it, either. This being a French film, it is slightly more sexually explicit than most American films of the period: we see a woman's (no, not Bardot's) bare nipple, and (heavy SPOILERS follow) the killer turns out to be a transvestite. Bardot's "amateur detective" role is somewhat of an acting stretch for her (her character has more functions than simply looking pretty and teasing men), but I still feel that for many viewers her scenes in a revealing black dress will be the most memorable ones. (**1/2)

Brigitte Bardot lights up the screen (while keeping her threads on mostly) as a wife who plans to clear her husband's name while working at a dance studio..and she can really mambo. Very complicated plot, but well-paced. Hits some night spots which few films did at the time (cross-dressing) with overall decent acting and beautiful color.A 6 out of 10. Best performance = BB. The guy who played BB's husband (the dentist) died right after this. He was married to Michele Morgan, I believe. Brigitte is sexy, intelligent, fun, dilligent, and focused in this surprising little gem (without being art). Dawn Addams is an added treat. The DVD copy I watched was clear as a bell which many of Ms. Bardot's film transfers are not. Seek it out for an interesting and fun surprise.