The Libertine

Many European sex comedies are about as much fun as having a root canal, but here’s a welcome exception. Produced at the height of groovy op art mania, The Libertine (La matriarca) is a bubbly, enchanting meditation on the foibles of the human libido as seen through the eyes of Mimi (Catherine Spaak at her loveliest), an unlikely and wealthy young widow who - thanks to the advice of her lecherous attorney - discovers her husband kept a swanky sex pad on the other side of town where he indulged in all manner of perverse sexplay. … Those expecting an orgy of bare flesh and dirty jokes may be caught off guard by The Libertine, which lures the viewer in with the promise of a walk on the wild side and winds up delivering something far more interesting and profound. … See it with someone you plan to seduce.