La tardona

Annie Girardot was THE French actress of the seventies .An outspoken nice personality ,she's cast against type as an old maid.But she's so good a thespian that she pulls it off with gusto,abetted by an excellent Philippe Noiret ,himself cast as a bachelor.Both are having a vacation at the seaside in a hotel .The man tries to make friend with her but it's a hard task because Mademoiselle Bouchon (=Miss Cork!!!)is an inhibited prudish woman .The dialog between them is intentionally down-to earth,dealing with "Oh What a lovely pebble!" "These are souvenirs for my family" .Only once they broach sexuality and not for a long time.Noiret and Girardot were such a wonderful couple that Philippe De Broca used them again in two of his late seventies movies .

But there 's a big flaw:the supporting characters are caricatures ,and although they are played by talented actors (Michel Lonsdale,Edith Scob,Marthe Keller) ,they really get in the way.That's why "la vieille fille" is only a good movie whereas it could have been a truly great one.