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UNE LIAISON PORNOGRAPHIQUE
Frédéric Fonteyne, France, 1999
Sunday 22 May 2005 10pm-11.15pm
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Frédéric Fonteyne's slight but beautifully realised modern-day romance Une Liaison Pornographique is a quietly stylish dissection of an unconventional sexual relationship. Intelligent and introspective, this exquisite two-hander is less explicit than its title suggests and nowhere near as graphic as Patrice Chéreau's Intimacy (2000), with which it shares a similar theme.
This well-written, episodic odyssey from Belgian director Fonteyne (The Seven Deadly Sins) is structured around the often conflicting reminiscences of the central pair. In turn, they each answer a mysterious interviewer's questions about events that have seemingly taken place some years ago.
Fonteyne's elegant and unprepossessing visual style thankfully allows his lead actors ample space to breathe. His sensitive, sophisticated chamber drama is worth watching primarily for a brace of masterly, award-winning performances. The ever-reliable Sergi López (Western) and the radiant Nathalie Baye bring an extremely high level of authenticity to their characters and share an unusually resonant chemistry.
In an age of increasingly extreme, censor-baiting depictions of sex on the screen, it's refreshing to see a mature film that favours perceptive debate and romantic spirit over gratuitous close-ups. Fonteyne stages just one love scene here, which is notable for its tasteful direction, tender humour and realistic eroticism.
Chris Wiegand
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Nathalie Baye and Sergi López won best actor awards at the 1999 Venice Film Festival
