Romance (1999)

Claiming he lived her but that he has lost his desire for her Matie s boyfriend Pul refuses to engage in sexual relations catapulting Matie into a desperate search for intimacy and erotic connection. Marie s escalating sexual journey tests he own physical and emotional limits and through and ironic twist-of-fate eventually leads her to fulfillmentSystem Requirements: Running Time 98 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: NR UPC: 031398724933 Product Description

Tied to Love (ha...ha...ha)

During the past year or so I have watched three films directed by Breillat, Fat Girl, A Real Young Girl, and now Romance. Fat Girl, while it leaned heavily towards the realm of exploitation films because of its sexual content, had, in my opinion, by its depiction of how the sexual awakening of a younger generation can be staunched by an older one and how sexuality is expressed through food and its consumption. A Real Young Girl, Breillat's debut film caused quite a stir in France and in Europe because of its unadulterated depictions of a young girl's sexual awakenings, but, in my opinion, this film lacks the artistic merit of the other two films. Romance, while the filming is beautiful and quite well done and the actors and actresses are quite aesthetically pleasing, it falls short in my opinion.

Romance concerns the life of Marie, a young schoolteacher who has been in a sexually intense relationship with her model boyfriend Paul for six months. Things seem to be going quite well, but one day Paul informs Marie that he is going to cease having sexual relations with her because he is used up. He loves her still, but he no longer has sexual desire for her. This disturbs the quite sexually active Marie who attempts to stimulate her boyfriend only to be rejected. While not engaging in sex with her, Paul enjoys himself by going to dance clubs, drinking, and reading Charles Bukowski at sushi restaurants. Marie almost wishes that he would sleep with someone else so she can get angry with him, but she believes that she can only be with Paul.

However, in order to fill her desire, Marie begins sleeping around. First sheep sleeps with the "gifted" Paolo, but her main attraction is with Robert, a co-worker who claims to have slept with 10,000 women and who introduces her to sado-masochism. However, she remains unfulfilled. Will Paul regain his sexual desire for her or will she keep sleeping with any man she comes in contact with?

I guess the weakest aspect of the film to me is Paul. Although handsome, he comes off as a complete jerk and makes me really wonder why Marie wants to be with him. Also, the pacing is quite slow and at points Marie wallowing in her own pity becomes a bit too much. With that, however, I would recommend this to the fans of Breillat's films, or edgy contemporary French films in particular. April 26, 2008

Good Service

I orderded a movie fom Amazon and it arrived at my door promptly as promised April 8, 2008

The most depressing movie ever!

The disc box features this quote from Jaime Wolf of GEAR magazine: "Genius! Possibly the sexiest movie ever made!"

Jaime Wolf is either a liar or a psychopath, because this is literally the least erotic and most depressing movie I have ever seen (well... aside from "Breaking the Waves" maybe). This stupid, STUPID lead female won't leave her boyfriend even though he is the most self-centered jerk of all time. Instead she just engages in depressing, depressed sexual acts while complaining about herself and the entire world. The ONLY uplifting part is the final minute when she (THIS IS A SPOILER SO STOP READING HERE) finally wises up and KILLS HIM!!!!

If you're looking for a good Catherine Breillait movie, try "A Real Young Girl," which at least mixes eroticism in with its disgusting images. This one is just depressing and frustrating from beginning to end (aside from the last minute).

And about that 'hardcore' footage -- it's the lead actress trying pitifully to arouse her asexual boyfriend on a few different occasions. Wow! What a turn-on!

January 28, 2008

Romance

Excellent video for an adult audience. It gives an insight of what one woman feels as she engages in an sexual act. Done very well. January 5, 2008

Breillat is Brilliant.

"All true artists are hated. Only conformists are ever adored."--Catherine Breillat.

Catherine Breillat (1948) is a brilliant French filmmaker, director and novelist. Her films take us (particularly us uptight Americans) places we've never been before, and usually outside our comfort zones with their hard truths. As a result, Breillat is often the subject of controversy for her explicit depictions of sexuality and violence. Romance (Romance X) (1999) stars Caroline Ducey, French pornstar Rocco Siffredi, Sagamore Stévenin and François Berléand. Romance is as austere as an Eric Rohmer film. It tells the story of Marie (Ducey), a schoolteacher who is in love with her live-in boyfriend Paul (Stevenin) who, because of his own intimacy issues (no, he's not gay), withholds sex from her. (In a stroke of pure genius, Breillat depicts Paul reading a copy of Bukowski's "Love Is a Dog From Hell" over dinner.) As a result, sexually-frustrated Marie pursues increasingly risky, anonymous sexual encounters with other men, including a bondage relationship with the much older headmaster at her school. From an Italian stud (Siffredi) to her Monsieur Marquis de Sade headmaster (Berleand), suffice it to say, Marie does it all. Throughout the film, as Marie explores her sexual desires, one wonders: what is Breillat up to here? Ultimately, this is not so much a film about casual sex as a film (from a woman's point-of-view) about sexual intellectualism, and finding empowerment through the vagina and motherhood. Breillat's interest in confronting hard truths about human sexuality is something I admire about French cinema and her films in particular. This is a film people should be debating afterwards in cafes, bars, and their bedrooms.

Before dismissing Romance as porn, viewers should consider that although the original version was released as a "porn" film in the US (with an edited mainstream version also released with an R rating), it was first shown in mainstream cinemas throughout Europe. In March 2004, the unedited film was broadcast on late-night German public TV, resulting in a few protests. The film was also broadcast on the Australian cable TV network "World Movies" in its uncut form.

G. Merritt September 8, 2007

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