Why is it when we hear "psychological thriller" we assume there has to be murder, stalking, or a plot to assassinate the president? Well, here we have a nice psychological thriller about love & sex. Nothing more. (Although I admit there are a few car chases & guns...)
It opens with a really cute, satirical play-by-play of a man & woman going through that funny ritual we humans call "seduction". We move on, through related plots, to focus on an bizarre, domineering man who likes to film his conquests. Yes, Jean Aurel came up with this theme 25 years before "Sex, Lies & Videotape" which itself spawned other voyeuristic enterprises like "Sliver", "American Beauty" and of course "The Geraldo Rivera Show".
However, "De l'Amour" maintains a strong, artistic, literary approach which you may find even more engaging than the story or the clever dialogue. As the film progresses, we leave the comedic veneer of the introduction, and we begin to get into the psychological aspect of relationships. I've never read Stendhal's "De l'Amour", but I gather that this film sought to visualize some of the complex themes of the book.
Oddly, I think that's where it falls short. In Aurel's effort to convey such heady concepts, I believe he sacrificed a degree of character development, and we (or at least I) find it hard to sympathize with the main actors. The result is almost a documentary feel. The audience may disconnect even further when it becomes evident that the main character is a misogynist who slaps his women around in public, and Anna Karina plays a woman who is turned on by his brutality and eager to assume any subservient role to please her man. This is definitely not a "chick flick"!
Overall, I enjoyed this but not as much as Aurel's films with Brigitte Bardot which seem to connect with audiences more on a human level (perhaps not due to Aurel's directing skills as much as Bardot's bubbly charm). But for those of you who are interested in the psychology of relationships from a clinical, male point of view. You'll find a lot to sink your teeth into.
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