Nathalie

I had to really cool off (a lot) my head, heart and body to be able to write something about this amazing story and movie.

This 2003 Anne Fontaine film tells the story of a woman that finds that her husband is cheating, but he claims that those affairs are not important. She decides to hire a prostitute to find if he’s telling the truth about his non-important affairs. From that moment on the story develops in the most interesting way.

Have to say that this is one of the few French movies where I guessed what comes next, but that only made it more interesting and mind-blowing as I ended up seeing the movie with totally different eyes and it was pure pleasure and extreme delight.

Starring exquisite Fanny Ardant and beautiful Emmanuelle Béart with performances that are excellent, especially because the chemistry between them is just fluid and totally erotic. That’s it if you believe, as I do, that the mind is and words can be the most erotic tool you can use for seduction. Yes, this film is that kind of film where words you hear, said with the most believable intent (or actors performance), propel your mind to go further and further. Ahh!!! Also, perhaps to get what I mean, you should also believe, like I do, that French is the most seductive language in the world… the language of love.

Since it seems I haven’t cool-off that much, I feel like sharing with those that read French, some excerpts from an interview with the actors and the director:

Deux femmes
Emmanuelle Béart confie que Marlène a été pour elle un rôle d'autant plus délicat qu'elle avait enchaîné les tournages de deux films importants, Les Egarés et Histoire de Marie et Julien, juste avant celui de Nathalie... La complicité de Fanny Ardant lui a été précieuse, ainsi qu'elle le raconte : "Je venais de tourner successivement le film de Téchiné et de Rivette. j'étais exsangue, cet état pouvait servir le personnage de Marlène, mais il fallait la patience de Fanny, son regard, sa bienveillance et sa gaieté (...) Sans Fanny, je ne suis pas sûre que j'aurais tenu le coup. Un peu comme Catherine et Marlène vont toutes deux chercher chez l'autre ce qu'elles n'ont pas. Etrangement, j'ai trouvé une forme de sensualité pour mon personnage en regardant Fanny, son charme un peu lascif, sa voix, sa gestuelle."

I totally agree with Emmanuelle as you can see all she mentions in the movie, especially the last sentence.

Les voix du désir
Dans ce film sur le désir, l'érotisme passe beaucoup par le langage. Anne Fontaine justifie ce choix : "Je ne pourrais imaginer faire un film où la représentation du sexe soit littérale, le sexe est tellement sur-représenté, on en connaît toutes les figures. Ce parti-pris de laisser flotter l'imaginaire est à la fois plus pervers, et plus excitant. Le visage de Fanny, écoutant ces gestes vécus, transférés par des mots...c'est évocateur ! Le langage a une puissance érotique très forte, la voix aussi. J'ai d'ailleurs choisi ces deux actrices pour leur voix."

Yes, everything is left to your imagination and their voices are essential to this movie, without Fanny and Emmanuelle the movie would have been quite different. And if you ask me if they made love, my answer is totally yes they did. After seeing the movie (if you do not like spoilers) I suggest you read this post in the imbd where sun7_2 gives a very interesting summary of this movie.

These two actresses were together as well in that amazing movie 8 Femmes, where also starred Catherine Deneuve and other great French actresses. Also here is fantastic Gerard Depardieu in a very good performed supporting role and I have to admit that I love his voice, so for me this movie was all about great voices, lol!

I have to stop this because I feel I don’t sound serious and this is a serious extremely good Lesbian Interest movie. Yes it is.

I do recommend this movie to all French movie lovers and of course, is a must be seen to those that enjoy watching Lesbian Interest movies.

Enjoy!

P.S. I liked so much Sun7_2 comment that I will post it here as a comment, as you may remember that I do not like spoilers before seeing a movie and I assume that there are many others that dislike it too.