Joseph Losey says he had wanted to do ‘ ‘The Trout' ' , a novel by Roger Vailland, for over 20 years, and somehow the film does have a kind of existentialist look. (Surely the presence of Jeanne Moreau adds to this impression - an act- ress who can be identified with the French cinema ever since its Nouvelle Vague days).

The trout of the title is Frédérique (Isabelle Huppert), who just slips through life's nets , never letting herself be caught. In fact, she was born and bred on a trout farm up in the mountains. She is married to a homosexual and has been loyal to him so far, but when a new ac- quaintance falls for her and invites her to go with him to Japan, she agrees, leaving her husband behind.

When she returns from Japan, Frédérique finds her gay spouse living in the home of friends, Lou (Jeanne Moreau) and her husband, who seems to be yet another man interested in the young innocent, and makes Lou violently jealous.

Frédérique's problems are finally solved through an unexpected development, bringing us back, full circle, to a trout farm.