La femme défendue

A beautiful picture. Official selection Cannes 1997. Nomination at the CESAR and Prix Romy Schneider for Isabelle Carré. 100% of joy. François is 39, married and a child. Lives confortably. Muriel is 22, single and free. They meet casually and the man tries to seduce the girl. What happens now is common place in an adultery. But the way Philippe Harel presents the story is unique. The dialogue and, most of all, the beautiful face of Isabelle casts a spell over us, the viewers. As a matter of fact we don't see anybody else than the young girl, not even her lover. All which is out of Muriel's feelings is left aside and, in his way to explore the intimacy of the human beeing, without unkindness nor complaisance, Harel reinvented the strategy of seduction, like it used to be 200 years ago, but introducing the erotism which was then concealed. I couldn't help thinking in the masterpiece of Paul Geraldy in 1913 " TOI et MOI" ( You and Me), a pure marvel.