What things make you happy Joe

French movies

I love French cinema

Because there seems to be a freshness in these movies

Have you a favourite genre

I like their gangster movies and their thrillers

But most of all I like their summer movies

Summer movies

Yes

What is a summer movie

It is a movie that is shot or at least set during the summer months

Why do you like these movies

Because one can almost feel the heat

Even if one is remote

Without fail these movies seem to be populated by beautiful women

I have read that you consider that French women are the most beautiful in the world and this has caused a hostile reaction in some quarters

I was misquoted

I actually said that French women on the whole are the most feminine in the world which is pretty obvious

French women on the whole are very beautiful and their femininity just showcases this

It is all down to the French language and the accompanying mannerisms

They just seduce me

I cannot really see why my remarks caused upset

Did you not once say that when you travel on the Metro then it is like being in the pages of Vogue

Yes

Did you not also say when travelling on the Underground it is like being in the pages of Farmers Weekly

Yes

Some people found that offensive

It was a humour that was all

Treat it as a humour

Were you offended by my humour

A little as I am an English girl

You are an English Rose

You are very beautiful

If I was a French film director then I would cast you in my next movie

I do not know if you are being serious Joe

I am being serious Miss Mills

Everybody calls me Rebecca

But back to more serious things as the subject of this interview is about your favourite things

Sorry Miss Mills

The reason that I adore what I term my summer movies is that they are so languid and have an eroticism that is as smooth as velvet

French movies are known for the unusual amounts of female nudity in them

I cannot think of a French actress who has not disrobed

Does this upset you

No but I feel that is can be seen as a kind of exploitation

No more than in any other country

If you were an actress Miss Mills would you think about disrobing on screen

Heavens no

Why

Because I am too shy

I think that you are inhibited

If you look at French cinema then a majority of the nudity in these summer movies is casual

Very rarely are there these pounding love scenes shot mostly in shadow with writhing greased bodies engaged in all kinds of gymnastics

Just watch some of the Eric Rohmer movies which contain little or no nudity

They are sometimes intensely erotic

A glance

A touch

Silence

Claire’s Knee is a great example

Have you seen it

No

Do catch it when you can

Although you tend to wear less in the summer you do not walk around naked all the time

Unless you are a nudist beach

People cover themselves even on a nudist beaches Miss Mills

The sun you see can be dangerous

Forgive me that as a silly remark

My summer movies are full of colour and for some reason are very chic

They never seem to work too hard

The way to be chic Miss Mills is by trying not to be chic

It works you know

Thank you for that Joe

Seriously you are not a lost cause Miss Mills

I will take that on board

Do you have a favourite summer movie Joe

No really I have many but two spring to mind

Those being

One Deadly Summer

I cannot say that I have heard of it

It is a French thriller with Isabelle Adjani

On the whole it is not very nice

Dreadful things happen

People die

But it is still a languid summer movie

And so very very French

In a Wild Moment is the other movie that I think of

It is a joy from beginning to end

Nothing really happens but a lot happens

The plot is wafer thin

Two friends and their daughters holiday together in Southern France

One of the daughters is rather promiscuous and seduces one of the fathers

It is a comedy so light that you are almost waiting for it to break in half

There is a wonderful scene on a beach

In which the Agnes Soral character Francoise argues and chases Pierre

They are arguing and Pierre is trying to hide from his best friend for obvious reasons

For the whole scene Francoise is topless but the scene which if done incorrectly might have seemed exploitative

But this just adds to the fun

It is a very subtle and funny scene due to its casual nature

It sounds a nice movie to watch

The movie has been remade twice since then

Blame it on Rio was the English language remake and it was everything that the original French movie was not

It was as subtle as a car crash and very very exploitative

I absolutely hated it

The movie was remade again a few years ago in France and was in my view rather good but it lacked the innocence of the original

That’s all Joe

Is it a wrap Miss Mills

I am afraid so

It has been nice speaking to you

You just need to loosen up

People warned me that you were direct and I should have found that nature of remark insulting

But I feel that I have just conducted one of my most enjoyable interviews in years

You have no ego Joe and that is so refreshing

Many of those who I interview are just egos

They are very tiresome

You cannot ask this question or that question

I answer all questions Miss Mills

But why no ego

I am a poet

If you have an ego and you are a true poet then you will soon fall into the gutter

Thank you Joe

The pleasure is all mine