Goodbye Emmanuelle

Goodbye Emmanuelle  After the titillatingly groovy sexy title song “Emmanuelle, Emmanuelle, Emmanuelle goodbye” sung by a husky-voiced Jane Birkin, along with Serge Gainsbourg it simply stays in your head long after the credits have rolled. Oh it’s a hard one to shake off. The third feature of the official French “Emmanuelle” series is a step-down from the previous two entries starring Sylvia Kristel as Emmanuelle, mainly on its concentration for the story dramatics than the sexual context. That’s not a bad thing, because is a perfectly realized story. Much more grounded, but quite reflective and still adventurous in more ways than one. The erotica is tastefully done, as the sex scenes are watered-down and briskly concluded, but it still has Emmanuelle with her swinging husband openly experimenting with their sexual desires. However how this one changes, is now Emmanuelle begins to question/or have second thoughts about this free-spirited lifestyle her husband encouraged when the arrival of a film director gains her interest. What starts off as a curiosity with the stranger becomes a lot more, where Emmanuelle and her husband rock-solid relationship of keeping no secrets begins to show cracks — and jealously rears its ugly head.

Director Francois Letterier beautifully scenic direction of a pristine Seychelle is elegantly captured and presents a strikingly lush local flavour. The exotic music score is melodic, fitting the mellow tone. The performances are perfectly etched as the enticingly stunning Sylvia Kristel (a true goddess) shows not only she has a seductress pull, but can carry a film with a strong liberated performance. Umberto Orsini and Jean-Pierre Bouvier are solid too.

Emmanuelle 5