Cousin Cousine *** (1975, Marie-Christine Barrault, Victor Lanoux, Marie-France Pisier, Guy Marchand) – Classic Movie Review 13,957

Jean-Charles Tacchella’s charming 1975 French romantic comedy film Cousin Cousine stars Marie-France Pisier, Marie-Christine Barrault, Victor Lanoux, and Guy Marchand.

Writer/ director Jean-Charles Tacchella’s 1975 French romantic comedy film Cousin Cousine stars Marie-Christine Barrault, Victor Lanoux, Marie-France Pisier, and Guy Marchand. Two cousins by marriage meet at a family wedding for the first time and develop a close friendship that leads to a passionate love affair after their spouses prove unfaithful

This amusing, ingratiating French wedding tale, in which two married couples get romantically mixed up with each others’ spouses, was nominated for the 1977 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar and for the 1977 Best Foreign Film Golden Globe, and became the basis for Joel Schumacher’s 1989 US remake, Cousins.

Tacchella writes and directs the comedy of manners with a light, polished touch, and the playing is spry and charming, particularly by Marie-Christine Barrault and Victor Lanoux as Marthe and Ludovic, the cousins related by marriage who meet at a family wedding. There, the bride’s daughter Marthe and the groom’s nephew Ludovic are left waiting for their spouses, Pascal (Guy Marchand) and Karine (Marie-France Pisier), who are off having sex, giving the cousins a chance to get to know each other.

Marie-Christine Barrault was Oscar nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role, and Jean-Charles Tacchella (screenplay/ story) and Danièle Thompson (adaptation) were nominated for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen. Marie-France Pisier won the 1976 César for Best Supporting Actress.

Cast: Marie-Christine Barrault as Marthe, Victor Lanoux as Ludovic, Marie-France Pisier as Karine, Guy Marchand as Pascal, Ginette Garcin as Biju, Sybil Maas as Diane, Jean Herbert [Popeck] as Sacy, Pierre Plesis as Gobert, Catherine Verlor as Nelsa.

Release date: 19 November 1975 (France).

Runtime: 95 minutes.

© Derek Winnert 2026 – Classic Movie Review 13,957

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