How Much Do You Love Monica Bellucci?

Wednesday night offered the opportunity to experience two styles of French comedy, the light tones of the Parisian show-biz world with Orchestra Seats and notorious director Bertrand Blier’s poetically wacky take on the inner nature of women as prostiutes in How Much Do You Love Me?

After watching The Valet a couple of days earlier, it was refreshing to see a mainstream Parisian comedy which succeeded at alternating between cuteness and humor, mostly thanks to its writing, fueled with gentle irony and its enticing gallery of characters embodied by great actors such as Valerie Lemercier, Albert Dupontel, Cécile De France and—director—Sidney Pollack among others. A Q&A with Writer/Director Danièle Thompson followed the screening.

While I didn’t know what to expect from Bertrand Blier’s new film, especially after his indigestible Côtelettes, I was highly disappointed to learn he wasn’t going to attend the screening as planned, since I was looking forward to the Q&A with my bag of tricks. However, his new film was far from being disenchanting. On the contrary, it showcased a softer side of the controversial filmmaker who offered a beautiful but rough hymn to the beauty of women. There certainly isn't a better choice to incarnate women than Monica Bellucci—probably the most beautiful woman in the world—but his ode certainly had a sharp edge: “les femmes sont toutes des putes” (all women are whores) while real prostitutes at least assume their true nature.

While I won’t comment on this, especially after having experienced dating in Orange County, I was kinda amused to notice a similarity in themes between The Valet, How Much Do You Love Me? and Orchestra Seats, these 3 films emphase that women can be bought; I remember asking the program director if there would be a theme to the festival this year but I’ll guess I’ll have to ask again, just to make sure!