Le Voyage en douce

Le Voyage en douce is a 1980 French drama film directed by Michel Deville. The screenplay is shaped around 15 different sexual anecdotes, penned by 15 writers.^[1] The film stars Dominique Sanda and Geraldine Chaplin. It was entered into the 30th Berlin International Film Festival.^[2]

Le Voyage en douce
Promotional poster
Directed by	Michel Deville
Written by	Michel Deville
Produced by	Maurice Bernart
Starring	Dominique Sanda Geraldine Chaplin
Cinematography	Claude Lecomte
Edited by	Raymonde Guyot
Music by	Catherine Ardouin
Distributed by	Gaumont Distribution
Release date	4 January 1980 (1980-01-04)
Running time	98 minutes
Country	France
Language	French

Plot

Disillusioned with the men in their lives, two friends, Hélène and Lucie, take a break to explore possible summer homes in the South of France. As the pair spend time together, they share sexual memories and fantasies and even enact some.^[1] Despite the pleasure of temporary freedom and companionship, they have to return to reality and its unresolved problems.

Cast

• Dominique Sanda as Hélène
• Geraldine Chaplin as Lucie
• Jacques Zabor as Denis
• Jean Crubelier as L'homme des maisons
• Valerie Masterson as La cantatrice
• Cécile Le Bailly as Marie
• Jacqueline Parent as Mathilde
• Jacques Pieiller as Pinson
• Liliane Rovère as The Voice
• Françoise Morhange as La grand-mère
• Frédéric Andréi as Le jeune homme de l'hôtel
• Christophe Malavoy as L'homme du train
• André Marcon as L'homme du concert

Reception

Janet Maslin of The New York Times praised the ambiguous nature of Hélène and Lucie's relationship; "its teasing is effective, thanks particularly to Miss Sanda, who is as beautiful and insolently alluring here as she has ever been. With timing that is constantly surprising, with a knowing sensuality just this side of brazeness, Miss Sanda is enough reason to see the movie. And she and Miss Chaplin share an abandon that is intricately balanced, and gracefully played." Maslin felt that the film was "finally aimless" but that it was still "seductive all the same."^[1]