French Twist

French Twist is a 1995 French comedy cult film written and directed by Josiane Balasko. It is among the few French films that have released a dubbed version for English-speaking audiences. Its title in French is untranslatable but 'Cursed Lawn' is a close approximation. It also refers to the shaving (or not) of pubic hair, a subtle joke in French alluding to the subject matter of the film. French Twist was selected as France's entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 68th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee. Plot Laurent (Alain Chabat) and Loli (Victoria Abril) are a thirty-ish married couple living in southern France with their young children. He is an estate agent; she is a housewife. Laurent has extramarital affairs. Loli is unaware that her husband is unfaithful. Then one day, a campervan breaks down in front of their house. The driver is Marie-Jo (Josiane Balasko), a 40s-ish butch lesbian who works as a DJ. She asks to use their phone. Loli has a blocked sink, so in exchange for using the phone, Marie-Jo gets Loli's drain back in working order. Loli and Marie-Jo begin an affair. Laurent is upset, but then his friend Antoine (Ticky Holgado) accidentally reveals Laurent's philandering to Loli. This seems to justify her romance. Marie-Jo moves into the house.