Le Sourire on AllMovie

The unbearable vanity of the human male facing death is one of the subtler themes of this French drama which tells the story of a dying man who finally finds and desires to conquer the perfect sex object. Poor Le Clainche is about ready to keel over from a heart attack. He's already had one and knows the second will be fatal. He is in his sixties, and though tired really wants to have sex with a beautiful woman one more time (for old time's sake). Odile, a tennis pro, is the sex object possessing a natural beauty that drives men crazy. She is a daring young thing. She first appears at a carnival where she has just finished a breathless roller coaster ride. She becomes intrigued by a striptease tent and is tempted to join them after the barker tries to coerce her. When La Clainche sees Odile in a railroad compartment she instantly becomes the object of his desire and he stands firm in his commitment to have her. His come-on is not subtle and she, the perfect woman, actually considers it. A strange relationship begins.