Summary
A forty-something woman places an ad in a newspaper for someone who is prepared to share
her sexual fantasy. A man, of about her own age, replies and, after corresponding
via Minitel, they finally meet up in a café. They have barely had time to
open a conversation before the woman suggests they go off to the hotel room she has already
booked. The man agrees. They repeat this little ritual three or four times
a month and then decide to make love "the normal way". Despite their attempts to
keep their relationship strictly sexual, it soon becomes clear that they have formed a
bond of emotional attachment...
Review
In Une liaison pornographique, Belgian director Frédéric Fonteyne
set out to demonstrate how difficult it is for a couple to have a passionate sexual relationship
without falling in love along the way. Stylish and original in its minimalist cinematography
and sparse dialogue, the film has that bleak existentialist perspective which is often
a feature of unconventional French romantic dramas. Compelling performances from
Nathalie Baye and Sergi López somehow give the film a sense of humanity and touching
realism which appears to be lacking in the script. Generally, however, the film
feels cold and not particularly engaging, so that, whilst it is a comparatively short
film, it places great demands on the spectator.
© James Travers 2002
Write a review for this film...
© James Travers 2002
Write a review for this film...
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Useful links
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Related links
- Other French films of the 1990s
- The best French films of the 1990s
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- The best French romantic films
- Biography and films of Frédéric Fonteyne
To buy this film
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Credits
- Director: Frédéric Fonteyne
- Script: Philippe Blasband
- Photo: Virginie Saint-Martin
- Music: André Dziezuk, Marc Mergen, Jeannot Sanavia
- Cast: Nathalie Baye (Her), Sergi López (Him), Jacques Viala (Interviewer), Paul Pavel (Joseph Lignaux), Sylvie Van den Elsen (Madame Lignaux)
- Country: France / Belgium
- Language: French
- Runtime: 80 min
- Aka: A Pornographic Affair; An Affair of Love
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To buy Une liaison pornographique:

Drama / Romance


