Une Liaison Pornographique (1999) 

Directed by Frdric Fonteyne

Starring Nathalie Baye, Sergi Lpez

Short but beautifully paced and composed story told in retrospect. A man and a woman are interviewed separately with regards to an all too brief relationship they shared. 

Having met in a bar through personal ads to share a sexual fantasy, the couple, nameless to the viewer and to each other employ a cheap local hotel to satisfy their desires and arrange to meet a week later.

These liaisons continue week after week and should have been just to share their fantasy but they each realise that their feelings are starting to go beyond sexual gratification, but still they remain nameless individuals, knowing little if anything about each other.

Despite lack of details they believe they can read each other, know what the other is thinking and this, in the end proves to be their weakness and downfall.

In contradiction to the title, the film is not in any sense pornographic. The woman coins the title using it to describe the original intention of their trysts, purely to gratify some sexual fantasy, nothing more. Most of their sojourns take place behind closed doors leaving the viewer firmly on the outside, its only when they decide somewhat bashfully to make love normally that we see them together and this is filmed very tastefully. 

The acting is superb as you would expect from two performers of this calibre and I must admit, I cant remember Nathalie Baye looking more beautiful and sensuous than in this film.

One for connoisseurs of art-house films? Maybe, the set up and structure would make it appear so, but Id imagine this could hit the spot with a lot of people.

A definite recommendation.

Cheers Trev.

BBFC rated 15.

No U.K. dvd release as yet.