Romance (1999)

User Rating:

5.2/10   

Director:

Catherine Breillat

Writer:

Catherine Breillat (scenario and dialogue)

Release Date:

14 April 1999 (Belgium)

Genre:

Drama | Adult

Tagline:

Love is desolate. Romance is temporary. Sex is forever.

Plot:

Although deeply in love with her boyfriend - and indeed sleeping in the same bed with him - a schoolteacher...

Plot Keywords:

Tied Up | Pubic Hair | Nude Camel Toe | Unsimulated Sex | Human Relationship

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Caroline Ducey	...	Marie
Sagamore Stévenin	...	Paul
François Berléand	...	Robert
Rocco Siffredi	...	Paolo
Reza Habouhossein	...	Man on stairs
Ashley Wanninger	...	Ashley
Emma Colberti	...	Charlotte
Fabien de Jomaron	...	Claude
Carla	...	Model
Pierre Maufront	...	Photographer
Antoine Amador	...	Hairdresser
Roman Rouzier	...	Echography technician
Oliver Buchette	...	Head doctor
Emmanuelle N'Guyen	...	Midwife
Nadia Latoui	...	Nurse
Sylvie Drieu	...	Assistant nurse
Samuel Charter	...	Intern
Alexis Gignoux	...	Intern
Muriel Gregoire	...	Intern
Sebastien Jochmans	...	Intern
Emmanuel Salengro	...	Intern
Christian Poitrasson	...	Lone man
Roberto Malone
Coco
Steve Cox
Jean-Pierre Daniel
Fovéa
Bernard Garreau
Hervé P. Gustave		(as Pierre-Gustave Hervé)
Kosta
Alain L'Yle		(as Alain Lille)
Kevin Long
Aziz
Marco
Karine Menachemoff
Angélique Polosse
Salomé
Cédric Samson
Yamine Tamerhoulet
Tramber
Vince
Caroline Virly

Directed by
Catherine Breillat

Writing credits
Catherine Breillat		(scenario and dialogue)

Produced by
Catherine Jacques	....	executive producer
Jean-François Lepetit	....	producer

Original Music by
Raphaël Tidas
DJ Valentin		(as D.J. Valentin)

Cinematography by
Giorgos Arvanitis

Film Editing by
Agnès Guillemot

Casting by
Estelle Bertrand
Jacques Grant
Catherine Hofer
Nicolas Lublin
Guylène Péan
Michaël Weill

Production Design by
Frédérique Belvaux

Art Direction by
Valérie Leblanc Weber

Set Decoration by
Alexis Forestier
Pierre Gerbaux
Julien Poitou-Weber		(as Julien Poitou Weber)

Costume Design by
Ann Dunsford		(as Anne Dunsford Varenne)

Makeup Department
Antoine Amador	....	additional hair stylist
Claire Monatte	....	hair stylist
Claire Monatte	....	makeup artist
Christian Morales	....	additional hair stylist
Pascal Thiollier	....	additional makeup artist

Production Management
Max Belmessieri	....	production manager
Bernard Brun	....	post-production supervisor
Laurent Charchaude	....	production manager
Philippe Guérinel	....	production manager
Eddy Jabès	....	production manager
Samir Larif	....	production manager (as Samir Larrif)
Jean-Marc Maestracci	....	production manager
Eric Margolis	....	production manager
Denis Oliveau-Lebreton	....	production manager
Anne Rogé	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Fabrice Bigot	....	second assistant director
Catherine Hofer	....	assistant director
Michaël Weill	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Pascal Bloquet	....	painter
Pqtrice Colardelli	....	carpenter foreman
Michel Courtemanche	....	carpenter
Bruno Devresse	....	carpenter
Olivier Garand	....	painter
Alain Gosse	....	chief constructor
Daniel Grimm	....	assistant decorator
Peter Hammond	....	painter
Alexandre Jacques	....	intern art department
Emmanuel Jaffre	....	carpenter
Frédéric Jourdan	....	carpenter
Alexandra Koubbachian	....	assistant decorator
Brigitte Lefranc	....	painter
Alexandra Pulman	....	exteriors
Christine Rey	....	tapestries
Véronique Robinson	....	carpenter
Gérard Simonet	....	chief carpenter

Sound Department
Emmanuel Augeard	....	chief sound editor
Marc Authesserre	....	head sound department
Eric Bonnard	....	sound mixer (as Erix Bonnard)
Pascal Chauvin	....	sound effects
Pascal Dedeye	....	assistant sound effects
Joël Jacovella	....	assistant sound editor
Paul Lainé	....	sound
Marie Massiani	....	chief sound effects operator
Pascale Paoli	....	sound assistant
Peggy Rivoallan	....	assistant sound engineer
Eric Tisserand	....	head sound department
Alexandre Vraux	....	assistant sound editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Yorgos Angelou	....	key grip
Thierry Engler	....	electrician
Yorgos Giannelis	....	assistant camera
Izet Kutlovac	....	key electrician
Eric Le Roux	....	Steadicam operator (as Eric Leroux)
Gilles Papillon	....	electrician
Sergio Rodrigues	....	electrician
Simos Sarketzis	....	second assistant camera
Alain Thernisson	....	electrician
Roger-Paul Tizio	....	assistant camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Janet Latimer	....	costumer
Janine Schlumberger	....	seamstress

Editorial Department
Bernard Bran	....	post-production
Fabrice Dequeant	....	color timer
Christophe Nowak	....	assistant editor
Agnès Touzeau	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Stéphane Ackermann	....	composer: song "Dorn"
Carolyn Donovan	....	composer: song "Spanish Storm"
Bruno Kramm	....	composer: additional music
Jean-Marie Leau	....	music coordinator
Jonathan Lesane	....	composer: song "Spanish Storm"
Sean Spencer	....	composer: song "Spanish Storm"

Other crew
Max Belmessieri	....	location scout
Patrice Birzin	....	groupman
Frédéric Bouchet	....	production administrator
Didier Dekeyser	....	laboratory technician
Marie-Christine Gauchée	....	production administrator
Valéry Guibal	....	finance director
Jean-François Lepetit	....	presenter
Mélissa	....	double: "Marie"
Georges Polonia	....	groupman
Dominique Rémy	....	production secretary
Séverine Siaut	....	script supervisor
Emmanuelle Wiclezinski	....	location scout

Thanks
Luc Barnier	....	thanks
Richard Boidin	....	thanks
Christian Bourgois	....	thanks
Gilles Cappelletto	....	thanks (as Gilles Cappeletto)
Jérôme Deschamps	....	thanks
Gilles Garnier	....	thanks
Georges Goldenstern	....	thanks
Christian Guillon	....	thanks
Marc Tessier	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Flach Film (co-production)
• CB Films (co-production)
• arte France Cinéma (co-production) (as ARTE France Cinéma)
• Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC) (participation)
• Procirep (supported by)
• Canal+ (participation)

Distributors

• Rézo Films (1999) (France) (theatrical)
• Pyramide International (1999) (worldwide) (all media)
• Éditions Montparnasse (2002) (France) (DVD)
• Alfa Films (1999) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Angel Films (2000) (Denmark) (theatrical)
• Arthaus Filmverleih (2000) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Atlantis Entertainment (2000) (Czechoslovakia) (theatrical)
• Canvas (2004) (Belgium) (TV) (first national airing)
• Cinema Mondo (1999) (Finland) (theatrical)
• First Distributors (1999) (Hong Kong) (theatrical)
• Homescreen (2000) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• Irfan Film (1999) (Turkey) (all media)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Lolafilms Distribución (1999) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Madman Entertainment (2001) (Australia) (DVD)
• Trimark Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Trimark Pictures (1999) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Vidmark Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Christian Lacroix  costumes: Arènes d'Arles
• C.J. Production  executive production
• Christian Lacroix  thanks
• Comptoir des Cotonniers  thanks
• Dries Van Noten  thanks
• Zucca  thanks
• Agnès B.  thanks
• Quick Faune  thanks
• L'Etude et la Supervision des Trucages (L'E.S.T.)  thanks
• Tampopo  thanks
• Lou Major Photo  thanks
• Assurances Continentales, Les  insurance
• Auditel  editing
• Cininter  electrical equipment
• Davidis  auditorium
• Digison  auditorium
• Ercidan  titles
• FKGB Arguments  publicity
• GTC Joinville  auditorium
• Planning Caméra  steadicam
• Samalga  camera equipment provided by
• Transpalux  electrical equipment
• Tri-Track Sync  post-synchronization

Also Known As:

Romance X (poster title)
Romance (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Romance (Italy) [it]
Romance X (Finland) [fi]

MPAA:

Rated R for language and strong sexual content including dialogue.

Runtime:

84 min | USA:99 min (unrated version)

Country:

France

Language:

French | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:R (reclassification) | Australia:X (original rating) | Iceland:16 | Finland:K-15 (uncut) (DVD rating) | Finland:K-18 (original rating) | Japan:R-18 | Singapore:(Banned) | Argentina:18 | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) (cut US version) | Canada:A (Alberta) | Canada:R (British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Canada:XXX (Nova Scotia) | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 (re-rating) | France:-16 | Germany:18 | Hong Kong:III | Ireland:(Banned) | Italy:VM18 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:18 | South Korea:18 (original rating) (cut) | South Korea:Limited (re-release) (uncut) | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:18 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:18 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:R (cut) | USA:Unrated

Company:

Flach Film

Trivia:

Director Catherine Breillat admitted to choosing Rocco Siffredi because she wanted a well-endowed actor in the role.

Goofs:

Factual errors: At the end of the movie, Marie feels she'll give birth soon, so she tries to wake up Paul. During this scene she moves in a way which is impossible for a woman in her state of pregnancy.

Quotes:

[last lines]
Marie: I gave my son his father's name. If someone up there counts souls, then we're even.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "SexTV: Nobuyoshi Araki/The Music of X: The Soundtrack of Sex/Catherine Breillat (#5.2)" (2002)

Soundtrack:

Dorn

Reversal of the Hollywood scheme

(this is a repost... the other review I posted was somehow missing a part)

In a perfect world, my opinion of ?Romance? would sound more or less like this. This is a fairly interesting film about the crisis in a couple relation that, in some sense, manages to come up with some interesting and quite universal statements about the couple relation qua relation and qua adaptation to a life of routine after the initial sparks. The desire of the woman to test her sexual boundaries should be seen, I believe, in this context, together with the final realization that, after all, even a bondage experience can be as banal and squalid as everyday life. The film is quite typically French: more spoken than physical, with the kind of conversation that French films seem to favor: too intellectual to be spoken by real people in real life, but grounded enough to make you wish that you and your friends could speak like that. It is probably not as good as ?la pianiste? but, then again, not many films are as good as ?la pianiste.? It is, however, an interesting analysis of a situation common to many couples.

This, as I said, in a perfect world. Alas, this is not a perfect world and, somehow, the question of the sexual content of the film managed to dominate the question about its contents. Most of this, I must say, comes from the barbaric and puritan America, my country of adoption. To the more relaxed Europeans, I must point out that this is a country in which, on television, it is normal to see ?reality shows? with murder scenes, car crashes during high speed pursuits, and violent arrests; it is normal to see in prime time films with violent content that glorify the army and the ethos of war. Yet, it is illegal to show a woman?s breast, and curse words that in more liberal countries are considered quite normal are invariably, and audibly, beeped. The sense and the moral choice behind all this escape me, but this is the background that one should have in mind to understand the outrage of some Americans in front of this film.

Outrage which, I must say, is quite misplaced. With the exception of one or two scenes, the sex in the film is not very explicit and, even including the more ?racy? fellatio scenes, it is no more explicit that in Bellocchio?s ?Il Diavolo in Corpo,? which I saw (uncut) on Italian TV (quite late at night, to be honest).

This outrage, however, and the puritanism that generated it, give this film its true significance, beyond the plot and the acting: the reversal of the traditional Hollywoodian standard. The essential fact about this film is that, while sex is depicted with immaculate candor (without, I must add, the lewd and voyeuristic aspects of Hollywood?s depiction), violence is symbolic, hidden from view. The only violent death of the film is in an explosion that we only see from afar in a very sanitized version, the dead body is never shown, and the Fellinesque funeral points to the unreality and the absurdity of the whole occurrence.

If a political message should be derived from this film, is a rejection of a culture that is trying to make sex unacceptable channeling sexual energies into violence, which is so often and so absurdly glorified and depicted into every gory detail. The call for sex versus violence implicit in the editing and the direction of this film is, I will add, a very healthy one.

Not a great film, but a fairly good one. Recommended.