L'école de la chair (1998)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Benoît Jacquot

Writers:

Jacques Fieschi (writer)
Yukio Mishima (novel)

Release Date:

26 February 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

Fashion executive Dominique's obsession for Quentin, a young bisexual hustler, fills her desire for physical love but leaves her taxed emotionally...

Plot Keywords:

Fashion | Hustler | Bed | Older Woman Younger Man | Foreign Language Adaptation

Awards:

4 nominations

Cast

Isabelle Huppert	...	Dominique
Vincent Martinez	...	Quentin
Vincent Lindon	...	Chris
Marthe Keller	...	Madame Thorpe
François Berléand	...	Soukaz
Danièle Dubroux	...	Dominique's Friend
Bernard Le Coq	...	Cordier
Roxane Mesquida	...	Marine
Jean-Louis Richard	...	M. Thorpe
Jean-Claude Dauphin	...	Louis-Guy
Michelle Goddet	...	Quentin's Mother
Jean-Michel	...	Marcus
Laurent Jumeaucourt	...	The Young Plumber
Pierre Laroche	...	Robert
Richard Schroeder	...	The Photographer

Also Known As:

The School of Flesh (USA)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some strong sexuality.

Runtime:

Argentina:105 min | France:110 min | Germany:98 min (cut) | Spain:105 min

Country:

France | Luxembourg | Belgium

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Canada:18A | France:U | Peru:14 | South Korea:18 | Spain:13 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | USA:R

Company:

Artémis Productions

Quotes:

Quentin: You can still see me.
Dominique: But you're getting married.
Quentin: I'm going to be a husband, not a monk.

Movie Connections:

Remake of Nikutai no gakko (1965)

Soundtrack:

Say You, Say Me

As only the French know how

There is something extraordinary about the two leads in this movie. Vincent Martinez was initially quite appalling to look at - scrawny, brooding with features more akin to a caricature! However, as the film progresses, one can sense a certain charisma and physical presence that he projects more and more palpably; yes, even from a man's perspective. But that's as far as it goes for him...

As for Isabelle, my! What an actress, what a woman! These French actress: Catherine Deneuve, Adjani, Beart - very few Hollywood actresses can be placed in the same league as them. This is my first time seeing Ms Huppert perform and I was really blown away. She brought so much contradicting sides to her character and she made them so believable. The character is strong in career and personality, yet vulnerable in her devotion to the above-mentioned man-animal. She is decisive and purposeful in life choices of career, marriage and the man-in-her-life yet defers constantly to the whims and fancies of him. You get the picture!

Anyway, with one single long shot of her face as betrayal, despair and sadness climax into a single track of tears - extraordinary! No self-pity, no cloying sentimentality; just plain sadness at the state of affair....At first glance, she did not appear extraordinarily beautiful. But as the film progresses, she looked increasingly radiant and one can't help but feel drawn to her.

One of the best film I've seen at this year's film festival where more is said through pregnant silences than confrontations and accusations a la Hollywood.