Children of Paradise

5/16/2024

Told in two acts with a curtain rising on both sections, this is quite a stylish, lavish even, and entertaining tale of a lady of the streets. "Garance" (Arletty) who sometimes uses her real name of "Claire Reine" is actually quite a decent woman who is wrongfully accused of pickpocketing in a busy market. Fortunately, the mime artist "Baptiste" comes to her rescue and quickly falls hook, line and sinker for the beautiful and charismatic woman. His problem is that she has no lack of suitors, and over the next three hours or so we are introduced to the lively and foppish "Lemaître" (Pierre Brasseur); the even more flamboyant but roguish "Lacenaire" (Marcel Herrand) and the aloof and sterile, but very wealthy "Comte de Montray" (Louis Salou). The plot itself isn't especially remarkable. A wo