Une histoire d'amour
05/03/16 Filed in: Amazon Prime
Working through the Amazon Prime list of French films I came to this one. It's very dark and certainly not easy to follow. Reviews were poor and I can see why. It was the debut feature from actress-turned-filmmaker Hélène Fillières and based on a novel by Régis Jauffret -- itself inspired by the murder of financial tycoon Edouard Stern.
There are really only three characters, who we simply know as the banker, the young woman and, although it isn't clear who he is at first, her husband. The young woman is played by Laetitia Casta, a sultry brunette, while her husband is far from young. She is having a relationship with the banker, who's a masochist and not a very nice person. Her husband is fully aware but I wasn't quite clear about her and his motives, other than perhaps a promised $1m gift.
The title translates as "A Love Story", but there doesn't appear to be much love about. She plays the dominatrix, reversing their real life roles where he is all powerful and she is the slave. Some of the scenes are extremely sensual but certainly not loving. All along he either refers to her as a pute (whore) or a muse, while she seems to be strangely attracted to him. Although I've not read or seen Fifty Shades of Grey, from what I've heard there are probably some similarities with this story. The film jumps about in time and you certainly have to pay attention and concentrate quite hard to fill in the gaps.
There are really only three characters, who we simply know as the banker, the young woman and, although it isn't clear who he is at first, her husband. The young woman is played by Laetitia Casta, a sultry brunette, while her husband is far from young. She is having a relationship with the banker, who's a masochist and not a very nice person. Her husband is fully aware but I wasn't quite clear about her and his motives, other than perhaps a promised $1m gift.
The title translates as "A Love Story", but there doesn't appear to be much love about. She plays the dominatrix, reversing their real life roles where he is all powerful and she is the slave. Some of the scenes are extremely sensual but certainly not loving. All along he either refers to her as a pute (whore) or a muse, while she seems to be strangely attracted to him. Although I've not read or seen Fifty Shades of Grey, from what I've heard there are probably some similarities with this story. The film jumps about in time and you certainly have to pay attention and concentrate quite hard to fill in the gaps.
Ultimately she realises that there is no future to the relationship, which is fairly obvious from the outset, and she asks for the promised $1m. He remarks that that is a lot of money for a whore and doesn't show himself at the bank when she asks him to meet her there.
Having been continually insulted and demeaned she stages a final S&M session during which she inflicts the ultimate act of pain - she shoots him! I must say, based on the portrayals in this film, I couldn't blame her. However, in the actual real life story the woman, Cecile Brossard, pleaded a crime of passion but the court didn't accept her plea and she was jailed for 8½ years. It seems that the real life events were even less of a love story than this film would tend to suggest.
This film wouldn't be high on my list of recommendations and the sparse dialogue isn't that easy if your learning French, although there is plenty of sexual slang.
Having been continually insulted and demeaned she stages a final S&M session during which she inflicts the ultimate act of pain - she shoots him! I must say, based on the portrayals in this film, I couldn't blame her. However, in the actual real life story the woman, Cecile Brossard, pleaded a crime of passion but the court didn't accept her plea and she was jailed for 8½ years. It seems that the real life events were even less of a love story than this film would tend to suggest.
This film wouldn't be high on my list of recommendations and the sparse dialogue isn't that easy if your learning French, although there is plenty of sexual slang.