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Romance

  • 19991999
  • UnratedUnrated
  • 1h 24m
IMDb RATING
5.2/10
11K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,071
639
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Caroline Ducey in Romance (1999)
Trailer for Romance
Play trailer1:24
1 Video
18 Photos
  • Drama
  • Romance

Frustrated by the lack of intimacy in her relationship, a young schoolteacher goes through a series of intimidating and often violent sexual partners.Frustrated by the lack of intimacy in her relationship, a young schoolteacher goes through a series of intimidating and often violent sexual partners.Frustrated by the lack of intimacy in her relationship, a young schoolteacher goes through a series of intimidating and often violent sexual partners.

IMDb RATING
5.2/10
11K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,071
639
  • Director
    • Catherine Breillat
  • Writer
    • Catherine Breillat(scenario and dialogue)
  • Stars
    • Caroline Ducey
    • Sagamore Stévenin
    • François Berléand
Top credits
  • Director
    • Catherine Breillat
  • Writer
    • Catherine Breillat(scenario and dialogue)
  • Stars
    • Caroline Ducey
    • Sagamore Stévenin
    • François Berléand
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 123User reviews
    • 76Critic reviews
    • 49Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination

    Videos1

    Romance
    Trailer 1:24
    Romance

    Photos18

    Caroline Ducey and Sagamore Stévenin in Romance (1999)
    François Berléand and Caroline Ducey in Romance (1999)
    Caroline Ducey in Romance (1999)
    François Berléand and Caroline Ducey in Romance (1999)
    Caroline Ducey and Sagamore Stévenin in Romance (1999)
    Catherine Breillat in Romance (1999)
    Romance (1999)
    Caroline Ducey in Romance (1999)
    Caroline Ducey in Romance (1999)
    Caroline Ducey in Romance (1999)
    Caroline Ducey in Romance (1999)
    Caroline Ducey in Romance (1999)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Caroline Ducey
    Caroline Ducey
    • Marieas Marie…
    Sagamore Stévenin
    Sagamore Stévenin
    • Paulas Paul…
    François Berléand
    François Berléand
    • Robertas Robert…
    Rocco Siffredi
    Rocco Siffredi
    • Paoloas Paolo…
    Reza Habouhossein
    • Man on Stairsas Man on Stairs
    Ashley Wanninger
    Ashley Wanninger
    • Ashleyas Ashley…
    Emma Colberti
    Emma Colberti
    • Charlotteas Charlotte
    Fabien de Jomaron
    • Claudeas Claude
    Carla
    Carla
    • Modelas Model
    Pierre Maufront
    Pierre Maufront
    • Photographeras Photographer
    Antoine Amador
    • Hairdresseras Hairdresser
    Roman Rouzier
    • Echography Technicianas Echography Technician
    Oliver Buchette
    • Head Doctoras Head Doctor
    • (as Olivier Buchette)
    Emmanuelle N'Guyen
    • Midwifeas Midwife
    • (as Emmanuelle N'guyen)
    Nadia Latoui
    • Nurseas Nurse
    Sylvie Drieu
    • Assistant Nurseas Assistant Nurse
    Samuel Charter
    • Internas Intern
    • (as Samuel Chartier)
    Alexis Gignoux
    • Internas Intern
    • Director
      • Catherine Breillat
    • Writer
      • Catherine Breillat(scenario and dialogue)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Although deeply in love with her boyfriend - and indeed sleeping in the same bed with him - a schoolteacher cannot handle the almost complete lack of intimacy he will allow. Increasingly frustrated, she gradually finds her sexual appetites leading her into ever more risky situations, including a developing one with the headmaster. —Jeremy Perkins {J-26}
    • bondage
    • ejaculation
    • semen
    • masturbation
    • penetration
    • 153 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Love is desolate. Romance is temporary. Sex is forever.
    • Genres
      • Drama
      • Romance
    • Certificate
      • Unrated
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Director Catherine Breillat admitted to choosing Italian porn star Rocco Siffredi to play Paolo because she wanted a well-endowed actor in the role.
    • Goofs
      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

      Marie: Why do the men, who disgust us, understand us much better than those, who attract us and who we love?

    • Alternate versions
      The R-rated video version runs 87 min.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Superstar/Random Hearts/Boys Don't Cry/The Limey/Romance (1999)
    • Soundtracks
      Spanish Storme
      Written by Sean Spencer, Jonathan Lesane, Carolyn Donovan

      Performed by D'Shadeauxmen

      Produced, arranged and mixed by Sean Spencer (as DJ Spen) and Jonathan Lesane (as Josane) for Spensane Productions

      © Copyright Defender Music/Westbury Music Ltd

      Avec l'aimable autorisation de Defender Music Ltd (p) 1997

    User reviews123

    Review
    Top review
    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.
    helpful•13
    9
    • zio ugo
    • Mar 10, 2003

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 14, 1999 (France)
    • Country of origin
      • France
    • Languages
      • French
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Romance X
    • Filming locations
      • France
    • Production companies
      • Flach Film
      • CB Films
      • Arte France Cinéma
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,585,642
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $44,829
      • Sep 19, 1999
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,585,642
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 24 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.66 : 1

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