An Affair of Love (Une Liaison Pornographique)

 Product description on Amazon.com

"It began as a purely sexual arrangement. She had a fantasy. He was willing to fulfill her needs. They met once a week at a cafe and moved on to a hotel. They shared no personal information. They didnt even know each others names. It was a perfect relationship until they fell in love."
                                                                                                          
Studio: Warner Home Video
Release Date: 05/10/2005
Starring: Nathalie Baye, Sergi Lopez
Run time: 78 minutes
Rating: R
Director: Frederic Fonteyne
 
The American title of this movie is a poor translation of its original French title, Une Liaison Pornographique. It is a very French and very Parisian film. Nathalie Baye (Elle) and Sergi Lopez (Lui) play out a riveting tale of human characters, sexuality, emotions and weaknesses. Each of the two is protective of his or her own world, but the nature of their contact conflicts with their desire for anonymity. It was fascinating to watch how the main characters progressed from their first awkward meeting in a cafe to an almost complete intimacy.

After an unexpected emergency at the hotel, a suspenseful tension follows, as Elle and Lui attempt to examine their relationship. Anxious and upright in my cushy armchair, I tried my best to guess what would come up next in their relationship, and whether they would share their true feelings.
 
The bedroom action is beautifully filmed and draws you in but it does not take over the whole movie. I enjoyed the interplay of the characters, their facial expressions and dialogue, and the symbolism of their surroundings. At their first date, the couple goes into a hotel room, closing the door behind them and leaving the viewer one on one with the searing red interior of the hallway. The viewer can only guess what is happening behind the crimson door.

At each turn of the story you do not know what comes next. I will not tell you how the film ends. You need to take the journey by yourself to appreciate this gem of the French cinema.

My rating: Five lilies out of five.