Romance (France 1999)

Catherine Breillat is a French woman director whose focus on films are that of female sexuality. Her attacks are shocking and rather disturbing to say the least. She has no qualms about nudity on film. When I say nudity, I mean no holds barred nudity! Her sexual acts seem to be the real thing, as well, and not just simulation. That being said, her films may somewhat border on pornograhy. What set them apart is the story she injected behind it.

Romance is about a sexually-deprived woman, Marie. Her boyfriend hasn't been touching her for quite a while. She loves him so much that she only wants him to touch her. But then, her boyfriend seems to be keen on keeping up his "no-sex" rule. He isn't able to keep up with her sexual appetite.

So, Marie decided to get what she wanted from other men without the knowledge of her boyfriend. From those trysts and sexcapades, she discovered a part of her that brought more life to her voracious appetite for sex.

Catherine Breillat should be commended for doing movies that usually are of men's genre: sex. She tells her story like it is on women's point of view. Moreso, with a more daring and bolder take. However, when one starts to take side, one loses the focus on the other and alienates him. In this case, Marie was the focus and all the men around her were mere players to her desires. This may be a good movie for woman kind but men may find it a bore. It wouldn't even be much of a study for men since there was little to study to begin with: Marie's sexual desires.

What may also be a problem here is the fact that Marie might be bordering on being a nymphomaniac. She likes having sex just for the sake of having it and not exactly getting pleasure from it. In that case, some women might not be able to relate on her.

Re the sex scenes, yes, they are daring and bold. There are lots of frontal nudity and close-up shots. But they are neither engaging nor erotic. It doesn't have the passion and depth of Oshima's In the Realm of the Senses. Some scenes are even too graphically detailed which makes them quite uninteresting. Not to mention that the movie failed to give meaning to them.

Do I recommend the film? If you're a fan of Catherine Breillat, it won't hurt you to see this one. If you want to witness the cinematic style (should I say genuis?) of Ms. Breillat and have no access to her other films than this one (like myself), go ahead with this one. Just don't expect magic and brillance. I'm sure that she did better works than this one.

Note: The poster above is the original artwork of the movie. So does the title.

::: Breillat's Filmography :::

Irreversible (France 2002)

Since I mentioned that I bought a French film called Romance, I'd like to call your attention to this other French film called Irreversible that I saw last year. It has Monica Belluci before The Passion of the Christ but after Malena. If you adore this one-heck of a beautiful woman, then seeing this film is all worth it! However, let me WARN you that this movie isn't for the faint-hearted. Like its title, its effects are truly irreversible! It made me sick to my stomach when I saw "the scene". Not sick in a way that I was grossed out or that I wanted to puke. It made me sick because the movie was done as if you were the character. That you were experiencing the same situation that the actor was going through at the moment. Not to mention that it was somehow done in "real time". It made my heart beat faster. It made me angry. It made me cry. Name all the emotions and you'd have it! Believe me! Period. I couldn't say much anymore because I don't want to spoil anything for you. That is, if you would have the heart to see it.

Anyway, what is it all about? It has a simple plot, really. It is about a happy couple who would be embarking on a different stage of their lives. However, something horrible happened to one of them that would changed their lives forever. What is it? It's for you to find out! That is the heart of the story.

Other than that, Irreversible is a cinematic experience because it had a style of its own. The movie was told backwards. If we are talking about time, it started with the events that took place in Monday 5:30 am and followed by the events before that till its beginning on Sunday 6 pm. The time I mentioned, though, is just a point of reference and not the exact time in the movie. But it did happen in just a night. It was ala-Memento only that there were no present events then going backwards. This one was like rewinding the story. If you don't feel like it, try watching the beginning in the ending. Just hit the chapter button of your remote. However, I'm not sure if it would cause the same effect if you'd see it the way it was intended to be seen.

Well, for my last words on this movie, don't watch Irreversible! Experience it! Let's see if you can!

P.S. If you're thinking of searching this film on the net to find out more about it, I suggest that you don't! Don't spoil yourself with synopsis and reviews! That's why I didn't add any links. Again, experience it on your own!

::: Other film recommendations: I Spit on Your Grave (US 1978) :::