![[box cover]](../reviewimgs/r/romance.jpg)
Romance
Caroline Ducey stars as Marie, a young schoolteacher whose live-in boyfriend rejects her sexually. He reacts to her advances with frequent indifference and occasional hostility. She finally lashes out, attempting to divorce her mental connection between sex and love by sleeping with strangers. If this sounds like just another pressing of the soft-core template, think again. Writer-director Catherine Breillat's film is hard and unflinching in its portrayal of sexual desperation and degradation. Its sex scenes, while not as frequent, are as graphic, at moments, as any hard-core porno's. Although Breillat's cold and clinical, didactic approach may test your interest, Ducey has enough of an empathetic presence to pull you through. This unrated director's cut is presented in 1.66:1 widescreen and French 2.0 Dolby Surround. It also includes the film's original censored poster art, and a poorly dubbed English dialogue track, also in 2.0 Dolby Surround.
