Wanted: Babysitter (1975) Poster

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6/10
THE BABYSITTER (Rene' Clement, 1975) **1/2
Bunuel197611 September 2008
This movie’s BOMB rating in the Leonard Maltin Film Guide seemed to justify distinguished French director Clement’s bowing out of the industry at the relatively early age of 62 (after all, he would go on to live for another 21 years); though admittedly clumsily constructed at times, it’s hardly such an embarrassing mess that would lead a renowned film-maker to become suddenly unbankable!

The bizarre and eclectic international cast is, in itself, quite notable: Maria Schneider, Sydne Rome, Vic Morrow, Robert Vaughn, Nadja Tiller, Renato Pozzetto and Carl Mohner; THE BABYSITTER, in fact, was an Italian-French-German co-production – albeit filmed in English – from Italian movie mogul Carlo Ponti’s stable. While it’s the Americans (Rome, Morrow and Vaughn) who truly make the film, the contributions of Schneider and Pozzetto (both of whom seemed particular liabilities for Maltin!) are hardly negligible or jarring (Schneider’s haunted, disheveled look by the end of it – having been assaulted by Morrow who, in his fury, took a knife to her hair! – and Pozzetto’s surreal ramble to Morrow himself about the apocalyptic inevitability of two-headed insects and radioactive mozzarella bear witness to this). The stunning Rome has a couple of brief, frank nude scenes (one of them at the very start of the film) but, surprisingly enough, Schneider doesn’t (her rebellious and self-destructive nature, which got the actress famously sacked from Luis Bunuel’s THAT OBSCURE OBJECT OF DESIRE [1977], would soon spell the end for her meteoric stardom); incidentally, the two characters meet when Rome is hit by a taxi in which Schneider is a passenger – and the two later decide to shack up together!

Rome, Morrow, Vaughn and Tiller are all down-on-their-luck actors involved in a complex kidnapping scheme actually inspired by Schneider’s titular line of work: in fact, Rome impersonates the latter at the villa belonging to a former conquest – an American industrialist – who had jilted her (the whole, then, is organized by the man’s very own unscrupulous lawyer!); a gruff Morrow doubles as a telephone-repair man in order to move about inconspicuously in the neighborhood of the designated premises, while the customarily brooding Vaughn lends a definite camp factor to the proceedings. Schneider, who’s an unwitting victim here, and the industrialist’s boy start off on the wrong foot (since Rome had mistreated and even drugged him so that he can be transported to an empty house in the suburbs) – but they eventually bond and, by the end, the kid (named Boots!) doesn’t want to leave her side; incidentally, Morrow is forced to kill an elderly neighbor whom Schneider had tried to contact.

Pozzetto, Schneider’s boyfriend, won’t rest on his laurels – also because he gave her the key to his apartment!; somehow, he manages to locate the house but is scared off by Morrow in the above-mentioned scene they share (it was certainly weird seeing the popular, chubby Italian comic interacting with the likes of him and Vaughn) – the film, then, ends on an agreeably amusing note as Pozzetto decides to call in a professional with a passkey to his home (arriving on the scene loaded with them) but, by this time, Schneider’s come back! By the way, the greedy lawyer decides to keep the ransom money all for himself and eliminates Vaughn and Tiller (a scene witnessed by Schneider and the boy); when Morrow turns up, she tells him he’s been duped and he leaves, disconcerted – after which Schneider calls the police to denounce the lawyer’s involvement in the case…

For the record, Clement started out with the famous WWII semi-documentary LA BATAILLE DU RAIL (1945) and proceeded to such Art-house hits as FORBIDDEN GAMES (1952) and GERVAISE (1956); however, after introducing Alain Delon in the excellent Patricia Highsmith adaptation PLEIN SOLEIL (1960), he seemed stuck in a rut of pulp thrillers right till the end of his career – JOY HOUSE (1964), RIDER ON THE RAIN (1970), THE DEADLY TRAP (1971), AND HOPE TO DIE (1972), etc. Incidentally, the film under review had been shown on late-night Italian TV a number of times in the past – but it was only now, still moved by the footage of Morrow’s horrific death, that I decided to check it out…and for which I was glad since, while essentially unsatisfying, it clearly turned out to be of more than passing interest.
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6/10
Better than contemporary reviews might suggest
mcongedi8 January 2021
This film was almost universally panned at the time of its release. It was the final film of distinguished French director Rene' Clement and clearly not one of his best. But....

There is something about this film that is quite compelling. Agreed, the plot is full of holes and certainly stretches belief and logic. But there is a melancholy mood that few films ever achieve. One has to credit Clement for this (non-trivial) achievement. Generating and communicating melancholia is hard to do and somehow Clement manages it.

Credit must also go to French actress Maria Schneider who plays the role of the confused and trapped Michelle, just right. Her acting is minimalistic, and ultimately believable. In a smaller role, Italian comedian Renato Pozzetto, playing the scruffy Gianni ( Michelle's friend), brings just the right seediness, innocence and melancholy to his scenes. Worth a look. Worth a partial revaluation.
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6/10
"There are two kinds of money:The kind I make,or don't-and the kind your father sends you."
morrison-dylan-fan10 July 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Getting set to watch Rene Clement's 1954 title Lovers, Happy Lovers! On YouTube,I was sad to find that it had recently been taken off the site.Looking round the site for Clips from Lovers,I was pleased to stumble upon his last ever movie,which led to me getting ready to witness Clement's final sitting.

The plot:

Getting nothing but bad parts in low budget movies, Ann has to rely on babysitter Michelle to cover the costs. Mixed up in the underworld of the movie business,Ann learns that Michelle is to babysit 'Boots' Peter Franklin,the son of a wealthy businessman.Hatching a plan with the mob,Ann sets out a plan to kidnap Boots once Michelle has finished her shift.Unknown to Ann,Michelle has to stay over longer than originally planned,which leads to the plan becoming a kidnapping of 2 pairs of boots.

View on the film:

For his curtain call,co-writer/(along with Nicola Badalucco/Mark Peploe & Luciano Vincenzoni) directing auteur Rene Clement offers shavings of his distinctive,Film Noir style with the forced drinking of Boots,and water running down narrow corridors spreading an icy chill over Boots and Michelle's home invasion. Sadly,Clement limits these moments to showing what could have been,by going for a glossy style,which whilst smoothly handles pulls the rug out of all the tension getting locked in the house.Finding themselves caught in the middle of a kidnapping plot,the screenplay by Clément/ Peploe/Vincenzoni & Badalucco builds a sturdy Home Invasion Thriller within the walls,where the the sounds of threats from the outside are matched by the uneasy level of trust that Boots and Michelle have for each other.

Knocking down the wall,the writers try to flip the situation into a grubby,double-dealing Film Noir,which ends up destroying all the good work that was done in the house,due to the writers pilling all the excuses in for the kidnapping,which leads to extremely abrupt character changes.Whilst the film has a dazzling cast, Nadja Tiller/Robert Vaughn and Vic Morrow are held back from fully sinking into the brittle atmosphere,with the elegant Maria Schneider being the only one to match Francis Lai's great synch score in her performance as Michelle,thanks to Schneider giving Michelle great rough edges,as the baby sitter pays tribute to Rene Clement.
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Offbeat but interesting thriller
lazarillo2 July 2008
A young woman (Maria Schneider)is lured to a babysitting gig in a remote mansion by her treacherous roommate (Sydney Rome). When her young charge wakes up though, she realizes that he's been kidnapped and that she's being used as an unwitting front in the kidnapping. This movie was directed by a respected French director, Rene Clement, and is in black and white for some reason. It is a rather ridiculous melodrama, however, that doesn't really live up to its arty pretensions. On the other hand, people drawn in by its exploitative English title, "Wanted: Babysitter" ( I only understand the "jeun fille" part of the French title, but it seems pretty exploitative too) were probably pretty disappointed at its relative lack of exploitative elements. It was probably mistaken by many for one of the "sexy babysitter" movies of the era (i.e. "The Babysitter", "Weekend with the Babysitter", "Jailbait Babysitter", ad infinitum), especially with the Maria "Last Tango in Paris' Schneider in the lead.

I actually kind of like movies like this though that fall in the no-man's land between art and exploitation. The absurd plot kind of reminded me of an Italian giallo (although it's slow and subtle in a French way rather than delirious and over-the-top in an Italian). Regrettably--nay, tragically--Schneider has no nude scenes, but she's still pretty good. This is actually the third best movie I've seen her in after "Last Tango" and "The Passenger" (. . .well, actually I've only seen her in those two other movies). Rome does have nude scenes, and, surprisingly, she too is pretty good (I found her sexy but incredibly annoying in Polanski's "What?" and just plain irritating in the Italian anthology "Sex with a Smile").

This is a pretty unusual movie which I wouldn't recommend to everybody, but if it sounds interesting to you . . .
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4/10
If You Go Chasing Rabbits
wes-connors29 July 2009
"A young woman unwittingly becomes part of a kidnapping plot involving the son of a movie producer she is babysitting. The kidnappers happen to be former business partners of the son's father and are looking to exact some revenge on him. Our babysitter must bide her time and wait to see what will become of the son and herself, while the kidnappers begin to argue amongst themselves, placing the kidnap victims in great peril," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis.

That acclaimed director René Clément could be responsible for this haphazard crime thriller is the real shocker. Despite beginning with the appearance of having been edited in a washing machine, the film develops a linear storyline. Once you've figured out what is going on, the engaging Maria Schneider (as Michelle) and endearing John Whittington (as Boots) can get you through the film. There are a couple of female nude scenes, which fit into the storyline well.

**** Scar Tissue (10/15/75) René Clément ~ Maria Schneider, John Whittington, Vic Morrow
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7/10
This downbeat thriller is much better than it's reputation suggests
Red-Barracuda19 July 2011
From reading other reviews here it doesn't seem like this film has too good of a reputation. This surprises me. I found Wanted: Babysitter to be a very good crime-thriller. Having said that, I am not familiar at all with its director René Clément's other work. It appears from what I read that he was a renowned film-maker whose career was latterly panned by the critics. This film was his last offering and it seems to have suffered especially badly in this way.

I just cannot get behind the dislike though as overall I found the film to be very involving. I thought Maria Schneider was fine in the lead role and was ably supported by the likes of Robert Vaughn, Vic Morrow and Sydne Rome. The storyline is compelling enough and there is a fair amount of tension generated. The overall tone is gloomy and downbeat which is certainly in keeping with the film's French origins, seeing as 70's thrillers from that country seem to often be like this. Furthermore, the version of the film I watched was a public domain copy that was for some reason in black and white. I have no idea why this should be seeing as the film is clearly a colour production. It sounds like it may have been released this way for some obscure TV market perhaps. But whatever the reason, the funny thing is that the black and white presentation actually adds to the overall feel of the film. It only adds to the downbeat ambiance and very probably makes it a better film.

All I can say finally is that Wanted: Babysitter is nowhere near as bad as its reputation suggests. I would even go as far as to say that it is a good 70's thriller and is well worth checking out.
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3/10
Baby Sit
BandSAboutMovies28 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Ann (Sydne Rome, the daughter of an Akron, Ohio plastics manufacturer who went to Europe and became a star in movies like Some Girls Do and Sex With a Smile; she also dated David Bowie for a year, became the face of aerobics in Europe by the 80s and recorded several songs) is an actress having an affair with a wealthy food mogul (Carl Mohner) . He gets rid of her, she stumbles into the street and gets hit by a car.* When she gets back to acting, well, she can't do nude scenes any more - a fact that enrages actor Stuart Chase (Robert Vaughn) - because the accident so ruined her breasts that she won't show them.

She and her roommate Michelle (Maria Schneider, yes, the star of Last Tango In Paris) are out of money, so Ann dresses like Michelle to get a job babysitting the son of that very same wealthy food mogul. Then, she, Chase and Vic (Vic Morrow), an ex-stuntman unleash the next part of their plan, where a woman named Lotte (Nadja Tiller) hires Michelle to watch the boy - Boots (John Whittington) - while getting the money. The kid thinks that the brutal Ann is watching him, so he'll stay quiet, and Michelle has no idea what's happening.

The plan is, well, kind of dumb but it gets worse when Morrow can't be controlled and he kills everyone he can while screaming every single line. The ending is confusing, but hey, if you like Rome, Schneider and Morrow, there's a bit of fun to be had here.

Also known as Scar Tissue and The Raw Edge, this was the last movie that René Clément (The Deadly Trap) would direct. He wrote it with Nicola Badalucco (The Damned), Mark Peploe (The Last Emperor) and Luciano Vincenzoni (For A Few Dollars More).

*Oddly enough, Rome was disfigured in a car crash in 2009 that paralyzed the right side of her face.
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6/10
Underrated, but also a nasty piece of work
gridoon202429 August 2023
Warning: Spoilers
"The Baby Sitter" completes a tetralogy of highly offbeat thrillers that French auteur Rene Clement made successively at the end of his career: "Rider On The Rain", "The Deadly Trap" & "And Hope To Die" are the other three. Like them, this film is tense, creatively shot and elliptically presented, but be warned: it does get ugly and mean-spirited. Contrary to what some have said, Maria Schneider is just fine for what this part requires from her: unwavering in her determination to protect the little boy at any personal cost. Sydne Rome is sexy and uninhibited; American imports Robert Vaughn and Vic Morrow are convincing as irredeemably nasty villains. **1/2 out of 4.
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8/10
Compelling, amusing and thrilling.
christopher-underwood4 February 2014
This is a great little thriller with some fine performances but I understand Leonard Maltin dumped on it upon its release and it seems to me a lot of folks have followed his lead. There is nothing wrong with this film at all. Granted it is confusing at the start (intentionally) but most exhilarating when we catch up with the events and discover just what a tangled plot we have here. I guess some are surprised and disappointed that the super Maria Schneider keeps her clothes on in this but we catch a glimpse of the equally beautiful Sydne Rome, so all is not lost. John Whittington is especially effective as the little boy and can only imagine how terrible this might have been had this been an American picture. No sentimentality then and possibly another cause for upset in that the interaction between he and Schneider is so adult. Robert Vaughn also appears and is very effective in aggressive mode. Compelling, amusing and thrilling. Sadly, Rene Clement's last film and perhaps we can thank Mr. Maltin for that.
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Rehearsals for retirement.
dbdumonteil8 August 2002
Artistically,it represents the lowest point René Clément was to reach:he was wise enough to call it quits afterwards.

René Clément 's career had begun to decline,slowly but inexorably,during the sixties.His best works ("les maudits","jeux interdits" ,"Gervaise" and "plein soleil") were made before 1960,that is to say before the nouvelle vague's explosion.

"Plein soleil"(1959)is a movie we must come back to if we want to understand Clément's evolution:his first thriller,and the first version of Patricia Highsmith's "the talented M.Ripley",it was completely successful(although it was not really faithful to the novel),and Clement could believe he was a potential Hitchcock .All his subsequent movies bar two will be thrillers.They all boast an American star:Jane Fonda in "les félins",Charles Bronson in "le passager de la pluie" ,Faye Dunaway in "la maison sous les arbres",Robert Ryan in "la course du lièvre à travers les champs" and Robert Vaughn in this one.Another thing is obvious:they 're getting worse and worse(the movies not the actors!) as the years go passing by:only the first one,with his plot à la Boileau-Narcejac ,is still watchable today.

From "le passager de la pluie" onwards,René Clément showed ludicrous metaphysical pretensions ,quoting Lewis Caroll in the movie mentioned above,trying to mix suspense and subtile hidden meaning:"la course du lièvre..." spreads its action over 140 boring minutes.He hit rock bottom with "la baby sitter" (which was the real French title,I do not know where they found "jeune fille libre le soir"):the plot is so confused it's sometimes impossible to understand it.It seems that Clement had in mind a movie about torturers and victims.His directing is ponderous and lifeless,the cast is mediocre (Maria Schneider who starred in "last tango in Paris",Sydne Rome),the suspense absent,and the plot has more holes than Swiss cheese.Unlike "plein soleil",do not bother to remake.
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8/10
Worth seeing!
RodrigAndrisan25 October 2021
What a cast! Maria Schneider, Sydne Rome, two absolute beauties, Nadja Tiller, another beauty, Vic Morrow, Robert Vaughn and the unique Renato Pozzetto, who kind of steals the film with his role of an involuntary comic, excellently played by the actor. The story is trivial, the kidnapping of a boy for a ransom. The implications between the characters are interesting though. Worth seeing especially for Maria Schneider and Renato Pozzetto.
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René Clement's swan song
searchanddestroy-11 June 2016
I was not disappointed by this last René Clément's film. It's an international cast, as he did for LA COURSE DU LIEVRE A TRAVERS LES CHAMPS, a couple of years earlier. Not a bad movie which the topic reminded me Yves Boisset's FOLLE A TUER. The nanny and the wealthy kid about to be abducted. Not a masterpiece but certainly not a garbage movie. You would not find such features now. Yes, it's a typical downbeat scheme, as we often saw forty years ago, especially from France. And not only. Good performances too, despite the fact that there was no great actors in the cast. It's also a rather rare film, hard to find and no often released even on French channels.

I love watching such movies from time to time, gloomy and so sad.
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1975 bad bad movie but it does kill time...
orman22 August 2004
The movie has been released on treeline films ( www.treelinefilms.com ) and I bought it at the store for .99 and worth every penny! They also had many other films including Mr. Wong Detective starring Boris Karloff. More on that in another review. The film is in colour and the soundtrack is a little catchy. Its in English but the voice seem to be out of sync. I am a fame of Robert Vaughn and wanted to see what he was up to. Well for most of the movie he is not present. The ending was a little surprising. Seriously I just bought it to kill time while I programming and found myself watching it to the end just because it was so bad...you know like a car wreck...
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