Journal intime d'une nymphomane

Diary Of A Sex Addict is a nice looking film and it's well-acted. I think they were serious in making a sexually-charged drama and not some sexploitation film.

My big problem with this film is that everything you'll see, you've seen before if you have watched all of Alexander Gregory Hippolyte's films from the early 1990's. Sex addict who keeps a diary? Check. Hunky mystery man who turns out to be a jealous maniac who wants Valere to himself? Check. Cigarette smoking? Check. A brothel? Check. Tons and tons 'o nudity? Check.

It is a well-done film with good acting but take that all away and you're left with the same dated film that Gregory Dark was making back in the early 90's for the MFV market. I really don't see anything special or groundbreaking in this one. However, it is nice to see somebody without augmentations like Belen Fabra here.

In Barcelona, the Spanish Valére (Belén Fabra) is very attached to her French grandmother Marie Tasso (Geraldine Chaplin) and likes to stay with her. While discussing sex with Val, Marie advises her that it would be important to jot her life experience and Val decides to write a diary. Val recalls her promiscuous love life and her lovers since her first sexual experience when she was fifteen year-old. When Val loses her job in a downsizing, she is simultaneously informed that Marie had had a heart attack and she visits her granny that sooner dies. Val seeks a job position and when she is interviewed by the executive Jaime (Leonardo Sbaraglia), she falls in love for the first time with Jaime that is not good in bed and does not give pleasure to Val. They move together to a magnificent apartment and Val believes she has found the man of her life. Val gets a job with the gay Italian Harry (Xavi Corominas) in a fashion house but Jaime becomes jealous and changes his behavior. Val decides to leave Jaime when she gets pregnant and he does not recognize the baby as of his own. When Val recovers from the abortion, she decides to work as a prostitute in a high-class brothel to satisfy her sex drive; but after a period, she realizes that she had not found any difference between marriage and prostitution.

"Diario de una Ninfómana" is an erotic tale about sex, marriage and prostitution seen under the view of a young promiscuous woman that loves sex and has difficulties to satisfy her desire. The film works mostly because of the sexy and bold actress Belén Fabra that breathes sensuality. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Diário Proibido" ("Forbidden Diary")

This movie is for adults. That being said, it's about as far from pornography as one can get. There are sex scenes, but these are intertwined with the emotions of the characters, particularly Val, the protagonist. The scenes range from the subdued to the violent and one would have to be sick be aroused by them. It's too bad the film probably won't be distributed in the U.S. because of the MPAA's allergy to nudity. Anyway, the story is fairly unique, something of a modern bildungsroman in which a woman sets out to find herself. And, through a number a picaresque episodes, she either does or doesn't (note: no spoiler here). The movie is simply unique. That's why I'm giving it a fairly high rating. Just one warning: keep it away from kids and adults who feel that nudity and sex should be swept under the rug regardless of their necessity for the emotional impact of the story. One last thing: I was impressed by the acting.

Valére is very close to her grandmother Marie Tasso (Geraldine Chaplin). She struggles to find love ever since losing her virginity at 15. She writes all of her sexual experiences in a diary. She falls for Jaime but when she tells him about her pregnancy, he becomes unstable and rejects her. She is short of money and takes a job as a high class prostitute.

This is an art house erotic movie but I don't get a sense of tension. She's basically a single woman looking for love. Then she takes the prostitution job for the cash. The character is missing the desperate sexual needs that the title suggests. It needs to heighten the danger. It's artsy nudity without much tension.

I have read about this movie in a TV magazine and decided to give it a try. To be honest, the word "nymphomane"(or "sex addict" as it appears in the English title) was what attracted me since no porn movies ever appear in that magazine. And indeed it was not something to be called a porn movie since porn movies rarely have plots that make one think about one's life. Yes, this movie does have 'many' sex scenes, but there's a lot more to it.

Valére (Belén Fabra) has a very interesting and complicated personality that develops during the movie based on what she hears and experiences and it should be very difficult to portray it but Belén Fabra reveals her self as a splendid actor in a role that suits her perfectly. This movie makes one think about his life, about making decisions and about those who influence them but above all, this movie teaches one very important thing: 'enjoy life'!

All in all, I had a pleasant evening (leaving me full of thoughts) and I would recommend this to everyone, because it can surprise in many ways. I give it a 10/10 for it's originality, deep thoughts and great acting.

*Please do have in mind that this movie does have many scenes that include full nudity and sexual intercourse and is only suitable for mature audience*