An abusive boyfriend is killed when his car crashes off a cliff into the sea. His girlfriend escapes death and comes under suspicion. She and the man's brother then begin a romance of sorts.

As others have pointed out this feels like a Claude Chabrol movie without the depth. It's a mystery-thriller but in truth its story is none-too-interesting. What keeps it from being truly mediocre are the occasional moments of the bizarre, some nice photography and a groovy Euro score by Claude Bolling. It's definitely a case of style over substance though, as there really isn't anything too much going on under these surface details. The story itself is as unrealistic as a giallo with some clear absurdities such as the dead body found in the sea that fools everyone into thinking its someone else's body. But it doesn't really have a giallo's sense of purpose or excitement. It's much more self-consciously arty and once the thriller part of the narrative finally kicks into gear the film ends very suddenly.

It's a strange movie though and one that would no doubt benefit from a repeat viewing. Very much a minor film but stylish and odd enough to be given some credit.

This is a blisteringly good French/Italian giallo thriller with stunning cinematography, a rock-tastic, groovy soundtrack and some excellent performances. To discuss the story, I'll have to give an extra SPOILER warning, on top of the usual, because it would be a genuine shame to see this knowing what is going to happen.

Firstly, the music by Claude Bolling includes a few vocal numbers, both in the background and to the fore (including the repeatedly played 'Strange magic' and 'Who Are You?', which have the desired effect of staying with the listener). Elsewhere, the score is often equally rhythmic, but atmospheric when it needs to be. In places, it is very reminiscent of Manfred Hübler & Siegfried Schwab's soundtracks for Jess Franco films from this period.

There are mainly four characters. We meet Marina (played by the incredible Romy Schneider) and partner Claude (smouldering Gabriele Tinti). I use these one-word descriptions because that's what they are. And yet the superficiality of these attributes doesn't detract in any way from their fine performances. Also, there is intense but kindly Serge (Maurice Ronet) and his ex-wife Dorothée (Jodie Whittaker-like Simone Bach). Wonderful performances all.

This gang naturally dovetails into the story, where, once again, there is a spoiler warning. Marina and Claude are arguing whilst driving along windswept, rocky, coastal Brittany heights. The car is seen tumbling into the sea, and only Marina has escaped, with Claude presumably drowning. Was she responsible? We don't know. Serge is Claude's brother and is very suspicious that Marina killed him. Her persistence and vulnerability ensures that they develop a closeness despite everything, yet she remains mysteriously coy about the actual events. Dorothée initially annoys, but seems genuinely happy that the couple have found a kind of happiness together.

Imagine, then, Claude reappearing from nowhere, having secretly been following the newly-formed couple around. And yet, he appears and disappears like a ghost, and only Marina sees him. In a magnificent chase through a busy shopping arcade, the commuters seem oblivious. Appearing not to have given up his brutal, bullying ways, Claude is stabbed by Marina as he waits for her in Serge's empty house. Panicking, having killed him (again?),she buries him just as Serge turns up saying Claude's body has been found by the wreckage of the original crash, and despite everything, the future seems bright for Marina and Serge.

However, Claude's burial ground has been wrecked by a rain storm and the body is revealed. It seems the police are awaiting Serge and Marina after their latest holiday. Thing is - who are they here to arrest? Claude was buried at Serge's home. And who was the body that Serge identified? Did he lie to absolve Marina from the shadow of what had happened so he could remain with her?

These questions are left to the viewer, but in a wholly satisfying way. Often, in dubbed films, the acting can appear stilted and the characters thinly sketched. Here is proof that dubbing need not be a barrier to really layered, believable, even compelling performances. The characters carry the action, which is expertly directed by Léonard Keigel and written by Paul Gégauff. Thoroughly recommended. I had a ball.

Frankly I doubt Schneider herself said that this movie "set the tone for her future roles".If such was the case,what a poor taste she used to have.Actually,it was rather "la piscine" made the year before,that boosted her career that was on the wane after the Sissi saga (forever my love).

Romy Schneider teamed up again with Maurice Ronet (who was in "la piscine" too),but this time with laughable results.Leonard Keigel,the director ,wrote a screenplay in which the paucity of the ideas is so glaring that only a member of the audience who has never seen a Hitch ,Chabrol ou Clouzot movie could enjoy this poor would - be suspense thriller.Keigel hired Chabrol's dialogue writer,Paul Guégauff:probably horrified by the emptiness of the story,he made up for it with a lot of swear-words.

I wonder why talented actors like Ronet and Schneider agreed to make such a bomb;besides,the supporting actors do not "support" at all:Keigel's wife ,Simone Bach and Gabriele Tinti,sink into utterly ridiculous ham. The songs ,in English ("who are you" ) sung by a Dutch band ,Wallace Collection ,would nicely fit in a commercial for Martini.The critical reception was so disagreeable in France at the time ("a film made of brics,bracs and thingummies") that Keigel was not to made another movie before 1977.And it was his last one.