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Une liaison pornographique
1999 Drama / Romance
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Credits
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Director: Frédéric Fonteyne
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Script: Philippe Blasband
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Photo: Virginie Saint-Martin
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Music: André Dziezuk, Marc Mergen, Jeannot Sanavia
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Cast: Nathalie Baye (Her),
Sergi López (Him),
Jacques Viala (Interviewer),
Paul Pavel (Joseph Lignaux),
Sylvie Van den Elsen (Madame Lignaux)
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Country: France / Belgium
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Language: French
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Runtime: 80 min
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Aka: A Pornographic Affair; An Affair of Love
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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
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