Le dossier noir (1955)

English title: Black Dossier 

A young judge is appointed to a position in a small town which is riddled with corruption. An ongoing case about a dog trainer who confesses the murder of some dogs he was working with appears to have deeper political implications. An investigator from Paris is summoned.

Well made criminal drama which offers an analysis of the justice system through dark satire. It has an intelligent conception and is well acted and entertaining throughout. One could criticize perhaps the somewhat abruptness of the ending, leaving some plot lines unresolved, but I think that's a minor problem. There isn't much information about the movie on the web, but there are some sources who point to a few real life events which allegedly inspired -- though very loosely -- this film's plot. One of those events is the Paule Guillou affair; the other is the Cannac affair. Here are some links about those affairs and/or about their respective connections with this movie:

Paule Guillou est-elle l'auteur du triple empoisonnement de Vendays ? (lemonde.fr)

Gironde : une préparatrice en pharmacie empoisonne toute une famille du Médoc en 1945 | Actu Bordeaux

Question CLVI, Pharmacie et cinéma - Persée (persee.fr)

"Le dossier noir" de la Résistance Carcassonnaise dans un film d'André Cayatte - Musique et patrimoine de Carcassonne (blogspirit.com)

Rating: 59

A Super Fêmea (1973)

 A male contraceptive pill is developed and is ready to be marketed. The manufacturer seeks a female model to advertise its product.

Sex comedy which is actually more weird than funny. The premise mocks feminism: women unite to demand that men share (or rather take over) the "burden" of contraception. The remainder of the film is an essay on the objectification of women, and an opportunity to marvel at how natural their bodies still were in the early 1970s. This voyeuristic pleasure was then (and is now even more) the greatest one provided by this film. At any rate, Brazilian cinema at that point in time hadn't reached its nadir of vulgarity yet, so the film is a few notches above unwatchability.

Rating: 27

To Trap a Spy (1964)

 Cinematic adaptation of the first episode of the TV series The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ("The Vulcan Affair").

An American industrialist is actually working for an evil organization which is planning a murder which bears some connection with the visit to the U.S. of the leaders of an African country.

Espionage thriller with some mildly comic elements. There isn't really any relevant connection to serious issues here; intelligence does not work like this, and neither does the world. But, despite -- or perhaps because of -- that, it entertains passably.

Rating: 45