Please, Not Now! – Kino Lorber (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: France/Italy, 1961
Director: Roger Vadim
Writers: Roger Vadim, Claude Brulé, Jean Aurel
Cast: Brigitte Bardot, Joséphine James, Mireille Darc, Edith Zetline, Michel Subor, Jacques Riberolles, Claude Brasseur

Release Date: January 2nd, 2024
Approximate running time: 89 Minutes 26 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono French
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $29.95

"When Sophie, a photographer’s model (Bardot), is jilted by her boyfriend (Jacques Riberolles), she becomes convinced she is the victim of a family curse, and takes shotgun in hand to eliminate her romantic rival (Joséphine James). Meanwhile, a young bachelor (Michel Subor) attempts to defuse Sophie’s rage, and win the slightly demented blonde for himself." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Please, Not Now! comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 21.4 GB

Feature: 21.1 GB

The sources look excellent; image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid; and the image looks organic.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in French with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, and balanced. Range-wise, things sound very good.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (1 minute 57 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles) and an audio commentary with film historian Alexandra Heller-Nicholas.

Summary:

Directed by Roger Vadim, whose other notable films include And God Created Woman, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Blood and Roses, Barbarella, and Pretty Maids All in a Row. Please, Not Now! would mark Brigitte Bardot’s third of five collaborations with Roger Vadim, her ex-husband. Their other collaborations were And God Created Woman, The Night Heaven Fell, Love on a Pillow, and Don Juan, or If Don Juan Were a Woman.

Barbara, an American, has been having an affair with Sophie's boyfriend Philippe, leaving Sophie heartbroken when she finds out. A chance encounter introduces Sophie to Alain, with whom she quickly builds up a friendship, oblivious to the fact that Alain has fallen in love with her. When she finds out that Philippe is taking his new girlfriend to a ski resort, she convinces Alain to come along and pretend that they are in love. Will Sophie win back Philippe, or will she let the love that is right in front of her slip away?

The opening credits, which feature Sophie driving crazily around Paris, narrowly avoiding and causing a few collisions, perfectly set the tone for what follows. Please, Not Now! is a romantic comedy that has elements that are synonymous with Hollywood screwball comedies. Notably, psychical comedy like throwing a pie in someone's face, blowing up a stove, or moments that are sped up for effect.

The focal point is Brigitte Bardot (Contempt) in the role of Sophie, a scorned woman who refuses to give up on the man who left her for another woman. Though her sex appeal is on full display, it is actually moments of humor where she shines the brightest. Another performance of note is by Michel Subor (Le petit soldat), whose character Alain is the straight man that perfectly complements Brigitte Bardot's ditzy performance.

From a production standpoint, there is no area where Please, Not Now! does not excel. The briskly paced narrative ensures there is never a dull moment, and when it comes to humor, it always hits the mark. Roger Vadim’s direction is solid, and though the visuals have some inventive compositions, their ultimate strength is how they let the performances take center stage. Brigitte Bardot's memorable bath tube strip tease, where the image is diffused to cover up her naked flesh.

Roger Vadim’s relationship changed, not only personally but professionally, over the course of the five films he made with Brigitte Bardot. There is no denying the role he played in her career and how the films they made together are arguably her best films. Ultimately, despite being a standard love triangle romantic comedy, the result is a film that is elevated by Brigitte Bardot and Michel Subor’s exceptional performances.

Please, Not Now! gets a first-rate release from Kino Lorber that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and an informative audio commentary, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer