Retro review: Le sexe qui parle (AKA Pussy Talk, 1975)

Since my review of the 1977 'sex' 'comedy' Chatterbox is currently the most viewed article on my blog, it makes sense (in a page view grabbing way, at least) that I should get round to reviewing the French film which was the films' influence, Le sexe qui parle, better known as in its international title, Pussy Talk, which turns out to be a much more hardcore outing than the rather tame US counterpart.

 

Joëlle (Pénélope Lamour) is the lady who is cursed with a talking doo-dah in this film, but it doesn't make its presence known until she has inexplicably fiddled with a blonde who happens to make a comment to her in the street (who also looks completely disinterested in this - even when Joëlle uses a rolled up banknote to play with her parts), performed fellatio on an unsuspecting office clerk at work, relieved the tedium of a dinner party by having another strum, only in front of all the guests, and been completely let down in bed by her husband, Eric (Jean-Loup Philippe, best known from several Jean Rollin films, the most notable being Lips of Blood - nice link, eh? - billed here as Nils Hortzs, no doubt to keep his film cred).

 

After this disappointing display of horizontal dancing, she heads to the bathroom to flick the bean once more, this time while having a fantasy of a group of men watching her do this while jizzing the most unrealistic spunk on her car windscreen. Her foo foo is just as unimpressed with Eric's prowess too, and it makes it known to him. Eric brings in a psychiatrist (Ellen Earl) who is coerced into getting a seeing to from him by Joëlle's vagina before going public with Joëlle's secret, causing her to go into hiding.

A sleazy reporter, Richard (Vicky Messica) takes it upon himself to get the scoop on the vocal vag, and makes a deal with her Auntie Barbara (Sylvia Bourbon), who is an artist who can't help taking part in a threesome with her models, be they male or female, and makes novel use of her brush and stiletto heel!

 

Pussy Talk is not quite as hardcore as some films of the 70s, but there are still several strong scenes of sex, mostly blow jobs, but some penetration - done via insert (pun intended) shots of body doubles. There is even a couple of pot shots later in the film, which make the aforementioned windscreen splashes seem more ridiculous. Surprisingly the film is fairly well made, with some fun POV angles and the performances, even though dubbed are above your usual XXX fare. I did try to see if they had managed to dub the fanny voice right, and yes, it did seem to go with the lip movements, so no complaint there.

Originally rejected outright by the BBFC in 1976, the film had a UK DVD release under the Erotika banner in 2000, but was cut by 1 minute 37 seconds, I assume to the penetration and ejaculation scenes, but as it was the uncut version I watched, I can't confirm this. There are many close ups of both male and female privates - aroused and diddled, often too - so I imagine even in a cut form this would still be very saucy.
The music was a stand out element, too and at times reminded me of Fulci's The Beyond - although I doubt this was an influence!

It wasn't quite sexy enough, however to cause a dirty rummage of my own, but had some genuine moments of eroticism, and was no where near as boring as what counts as XXX fare nowadays. Give me 70s bush any day.
6 out of 10.