Combien tu m'aimes?

I would probably tear "Combien tu m'aimes?" to shreds, if it weren't for gorgeous Monica Belluci. She's perfect as a prostitute, Daniela who decides to change her life. To my mind, she's the sexiest actress in the showbiz and all guys will obviously like this flick as Monica exposes her beautiful body here. Nevertheless, I cannot write anything else good about this film. I found writing terrible. The movie consists of numerous accidental threads and, therefore, is very incoherent. I think that screenwriters really had nothing interesting or particularly funny to say. All men are simply overwhelmed by Daniela throughout the flick and it's generally the whole plot. The movie is kept in tiring in the long run grotesque style and some scenes are wordy. I couldn't stand operatic music which was unnecessary in this supposedly light comedy. To summarize, this French movie should solely see ardent fans of Monica Belluci. I'm numbered among them and wish Italian actress chose better projects.

I love French cinema, but I was rather disappointed by this movie. The most positive thing about this movie is beautiful and erotic Bellucci taking her clothes off but the plot is so poor I can't understand Gerard Depardieu playing such a one-dimensional person.

The dialogs are sometimes ridiculous, maybe unintentionally because of the bad German synchronization I watched. It is not enough to play classical opera music instead of creating a convincing dramaturgy and script.

But to mention some positive aspects as well, there are plenty of breathtaking stills like Bellucci sitting in the window of the bar in Pigalle or "Francois" and "Daniela" at the beach, so the movie offers, as French cinema often does, excellent aesthetic quality. Accepting that this is cinema showing totally artificial characters, you might have a good time watching this movie.

What a disappointment. I was expecting much more from a film coming from Bertrand Blier, who has made Tenue de Soir in the 80s, and a bunch of reasonable films since. Having Depardieu and the mind-blowing Monica Belucci in the film was not certainly enough.

All the film turns around Monica Belucci. Sure, such a beauty makes man die for and can make them pay millions or kill for, the issue is that the characters in this film seem to be willing to do exactly this, and this is the whole story, not much more. One of the reasons of failure is I believe the cast. Bernard Campan in the role of the gray clerk who wins the lottery and intents to buy a beautiful Italian whore for the rest of his life is lacking charisma, and there is no chemistry between him and Monica Belucci. In other words, I can certainly understand him, but I cannot understand her, and the whole intended love story is less than credible.

All around dance a bunch of characters who fail to be coherent enough, or funny, or to be able to collect any sympathy. Even Gerard Depardieu who is an actor who seemed not to be able to do wrong looks like mis-cast. Actually all characters seem under-developed, and if it were not for Monica Belucci's beauty and talent (almost completely wasted here) the film would have sunk into complete failure. It gets a few stars however, and all belong to Belucci.

There's hardly a Monica Bellucci movie where the main storyline does not involve her incredibly seductive body.. it is just absolutely, totally impossible to ignore. She is a woman most any man (and lots of women) would find physically addictive. Whatever the scene you just cannot take your eyes off her.. what she says holds little interest, and it's not that she does a bad job acting.. it's just not the main reason she is on screen (you don't watch her films for the story). Partial or full nudity is the linchpin of her acting experience. She was amazing in this film ten years ago.. she is now at 50yo, still amazing today, and will be the same in another decade. It's almost as if women like her are somewhat immune to the aging process. "The world's biggest power is... the beauty of a woman"... and Monica is a nuclear weapon.

I've watched the Depardieu-Blier films all the way back to VALSEUSES and enjoyed them so I came at this one believing all the knocking comment must be wrong.

Well it's certainly not a dead loss. Campan registers in a tricky role acquiring Pigalle poule de luxe Bellucci and taking her back to his office worker flat, despite his shaky health and down at heel associates and this part plays quite well.

Surprisingly, it's when an aged Depardieu doing "vieux jeu con" shows up that things become strained. Well with a record like this, these guys are entitled to one screw up.

The film is by no means a write-off with the changes of light, background and costume within scenes getting attention until you realize that, if they have any meaning, Blier is not going to share it with us. The opera score has oddity value and the small parts are striking. Farida Rahouadj's turn as the Northern neighbour is particularly attention getting.

It's a pity to find this one getting international showing on the strength of its star power, in place of more imposing product.