Knave of Hearts

Clément's first film in English proved once again that a foreign eye can often find more in a familiar setting. Philipe, in an engagingly sweet performance, plays the fickle French lover of a succession of London ladies, wooing them by playing the role they prefer to see him in. This French insight into the dreams of English womankind caused a contemporary furore, as did the use of a hidden camera on London locations to show aspects of the city rarely glimpsed in British cinema. Today it still looks remarkably authentic, with a particularly touching performance from Joan Greenwood in an unusually timid role.