The Game Is Over [La Curée] ** (1966, Jane Fonda, Michel Piccoli, Peter McEnery) – Classic Movie Review 7558

Director Roger Vadim’s teasingly steamy 1966 The Game Is Over [La curée] stars Jane Fonda in her glorious prime as Renée Saccard, the selfish young wife of a middle-aged Parisian businessman Alexandre (Michel Piccoli), who falls in love with her stepson Maxime (Peter McEnery).

The husband finds out and wants revenge for the deception, so he tricks Maxime into betraying Renée, sending her crazy.

It is the three star performances that distinguish this otherwise not particularly distinguished movie. Yes, if Luis Buñuel had made it, or Roman Polanski, it might have been a classic. But Vadim keeps it on the level of an entertaining potboiler.

The Game Is Over [La Curée] is based on a novel by Émile Zola, adapted for the screen by Jean Cau and Roger Vadim, with Claude Choublier as scenario collaborator. Cinematographer Claude Renoir shoots it in Eastmancolor.

It was filmed as La Curée but released in an English-language version as The Game Is Over, which finally came to VHS in 1988.

Roger Vadim (1928–2000) was married to Marie-Christine Barrault, Catherine Schneider, Jane Fonda, Annette Stroyberg and Brigitte Bardot. All five attended his funeral and his former live-in girlfriend Catherine Deneuve went to his public memorial service.

Vadim and Fonda were married from 14 August 1965 to 16 January 1973) (divorced, with one daughter, Vanessa Vadim, born in September 1968). Vadim and Fonda also made Barbarella and La Ronde (1964) together.

Peter McEnery was born on February 21, 1940 in Walsall, England, and is best known for Victim (1961), The Moon-Spinners (1964), The Fighting Prince of Donegal (1966) and Entertaining Mr Sloane (1970).

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7558

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