Michel Deville, a French director born in 1931, began his filmmaking journey in the late 1950s, aligning with the rise of the French New Wave. While he may not have garnered the same acclaim as contemporaries like François Truffaut, his work remains significant for its unique blend of humor and social commentary. In Love at the Top (1974), Deville explores the intersections of ambition and eroticism, crafting a narrative that reflects the shifting cultural landscape of the 1970s. His films, often characterized by a more conventional style, offer a distinct perspective within the realm of cult cinema.
Love at the Top
Nicholas Mallet, an inconspicuous and shy bank employee, one day successfully invites Marie-Paul, a young woman he hadn’t known before, in the streets of Paris to a café and sleeps with her the next day. When he tells his surprised friend Claude about the incident, the disillusioned and handicapped writer develops a plan to control and manipulate Nicholas’ life. First of all, he procures him to Roberte, a professor of philosophy’s frustrated and bored wife...
