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The Face of Catherine Deneuve
- Syracuse University Press
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247 The Face of Catherine Deneuve French without question—a smile that’s nine parts mirth and one part doubt, the chin untucked and the left eyebrow arched a fraction. Never a different face in public than in private, never a pose . . . She sees whatever is there as if she’s seen it twice too many times to be impressed. And that’s what you recall as you recall a French woman’s way of dismissing nonsense with a click of her lips. In films she’s totally indifferent to how beautiful she is. It’s not an act. And there’s no need for nudity to bare the woman within. The face is nude enough to speak in every alphabet plus silence. Silence especially . . . When someone noted that Deneuve had perfect features, a connoisseur from Montparnasse demurred with a smile, “Not perfect, but better.” ...