The excitement in The Soft Skin, however, gives way to an intense tragedy that's INFORMED by the thrills.
The Soft Skin(La Peau douce)
✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ Read critic reviews
France · 1964
1h 59m
Director François Truffaut
Starring Françoise Dorléac, Jean Desailly, Nelly Benedetti, Daniel Ceccaldi
Genre Drama, Romance
Add to Watchlist
Please login to add films to your watchlist.
Pierre Lachenay is a famous writer and editor, married to Franca and father to 10-year-old Sabine. While on a trip to Lisbon, he meets Nicole, a beautiful air hostess. What happens to Pierre’s marriage when he is unable to stay away from the enchanting Nicole?
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
The Soft Skin is a movie about the agony and ecstasy of an extramarital affair. Truffaut treats it like a crime film-low-key yet tense, filled with carefully planted potential "clues" and an undercurrent of anxiety.
Redemptively, the cast goes a long way: Jean Desailly is perfect as a jowly literary celeb deep in midlife crisis, while the aloof Françoise Dorléac is magnetic as his airline stewardess and all-too-scrutable love object.
Chicago Sun-Times by Roger Ebert
What it comes down to is: Pierre is a lousy adulterer. He lacks the desire, the reason and the skill.
Users who liked this film also liked
The 400 Blows
(Les Quatre Cents Coups)
The story of a misunderstood adolescent boy growing up in Paris.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1959
- Director François Truffaut
- Cast Jean-Pierre Léaud, Claire Maurier, Albert Rémy, Georges Flamant, Patrick Auffay, Robert Beauvais
- Genre Drama
- Available on Criterion Channel, Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube, Kanopy
Stolen Kisses
(Baisers volés)
Antoine knows what he wants to do ... his problem is doing it.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1968
- Director François Truffaut
- Cast Jean-Pierre Léaud, Claude Jade, Delphine Seyrig, Michael Lonsdale, Daniel Ceccaldi, Claire Duhamel
- Genre Comedy, Drama, Romance
- Available on Criterion Channel
Antoine and Colette
(Antoine et Colette)
Will Colette ultimately fall for Antoine's romanticism?
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1962
- Director François Truffaut
- Cast Jean-Pierre Léaud, Marie-France Pisier, Rosy Varte, François Darbon, Patrick Auffay, Jean-François Adam
- Genre Comedy, Drama, Romance
- Available on Criterion Channel
Bed and Board
(Domicile conjugal)
First Truffaut gave us "The 400 Blows." Then "Stolen Kisses"... and now "Bed and Board."
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, Italy • 1970
- Director François Truffaut
- Cast Jean-Pierre Léaud, Claude Jade, Daniel Ceccaldi, Claire Duhamel, Hiroko Berghauer, Daniel Boulanger
- Genre Comedy, Drama, Romance
- Available on Criterion Channel
Love on the Run
(L'Amour en fuite)
In the final installment of Truffaut's saga, Antoine Doinel finds himself torn between several loves.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1979
- Director François Truffaut
- Cast Jean-Pierre Léaud, Marie-France Pisier, Claude Jade, Dani, Dorothée, Daniel Mesguich
- Genre Comedy, Drama, Romance
- Available on Criterion Channel
Jules and Jim
(Jules et Jim)
Close friends Jules and Jim both fall for the impulsive and beautiful Catherine.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1962
- Director François Truffaut
- Cast Jeanne Moreau, Oskar Werner, Henri Serre, Marie Dubois, Sabine Haudepin, Vanna Urbino
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on Criterion Channel, Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Amazon Video, Kanopy
Fahrenheit 451
What if you had no right to read?
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- United Kingdom • 1966
- Director François Truffaut
- Cast Julie Christie, Oskar Werner, Cyril Cusack, Anton Diffring, Jeremy Spenser, Bee Duffell
- Genre Drama, Science Fiction
- Available on Vudu
Shoot the Piano Player
(Tirez sur le pianiste)
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1960
- Director François Truffaut
- Cast Charles Aznavour, Marie Dubois, Nicole Berger, Michèle Mercier, Serge Davri, Claude Mansard
- Genre Drama, Thriller, Crime
- Available on Criterion Channel, Classix, Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Amazon Video
Masculin Féminin
(Masculin féminin)
Jean-Luc Godard's swinging look at youth and love in Paris
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, Sweden • 1966
- Director Jean-Luc Godard
- Cast Jean-Pierre Léaud, Chantal Goya, Marlène Jobert, Michel Debord, Catherine-Isabelle Duport, Evabritt Strandberg
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on Criterion Channel, Max Amazon Channel, Max
The Woman Next Door
(La Femme d'à côté)
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France • 1981
- Director François Truffaut
- Cast Gérard Depardieu, Fanny Ardant, Henri Garcin, Michèle Baumgartner, Roger Van Hool, Véronique Silver
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on Criterion Channel
Talk to Me
- Australia • 2023
- Director Michael Philippou, Danny Philippou
- Cast Sophie Wilde, Miranda Otto, Joe Bird, Alexandra Jensen, Otis Dhanji, Zoe Terakes
- Genre Horror, Thriller
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, FlixFling