The Perfume of Yvonne (1994) ★★★★

Director Patrice Leconte turns the heat up to eleven in this steamy, sensual memoir you won’t soon forget. A young grifter-in-training (Hippolyte Girardot) falls in with the idle rich who summer on Lake Geneva, and along the way becomes involved with an aging effeminate dandy (Jean-Pierre Marielle) and his stunning young protégé (the delectable Sandra Majani).


The trio spends their relaxing days lounging in sunny lakeside cafes and going on leisurely drives in the country, but soon the romantic sparks between Girardot and Majani ignite a raging fire of passion. The couple begins to secretly meet, and Leconte presents their slow, sensual lovemaking with a surprising and breathtaking explicitness.


It is tempting to say that this is not just a film about sex, but that’s not really true. Perfume of Yvonne IS a film about sex, specifically the mind altering effect of sex, and unapologetically so. All the subplots and questions Leconte has raised about the mysterious natures of these characters pale in importance as the intense eroticism of Girardot and Majani dominate the storyline.


And it is in these dizzyingly seductive scenes that we feel we are finally seeing the true natures of these characters; their outer pretentions having fallen away along with their expensive designer clothing. But Lecounte has a few more surprising twists in store for us, and by now, we are glad to go along and see where this winding road leads. This is a film that amuses, titillates, thrills and haunts; saved from perfection only by an ending that is, well, a bit much.


Unfortunately, Sandra Majani never made another film, but at least we have this one to remember her by. And what a memory it is.

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The Perfume of Yvonne (1994) ★★★★

Director Patrice Leconte turns the heat up to eleven in this steamy, sensual memoir you won’t soon forget. A young grifter-in-training (Hippolyte Girardot) falls in with the idle rich who summer on Lake Geneva, and along the way becomes involved with an aging effeminate dandy (Jean-Pierre Marielle) and his stunning young protégé (the delectable Sandra Majani).


The trio spends their relaxing days lounging in sunny lakeside cafes and going on leisurely drives in the country, but soon the romantic sparks between Girardot and Majani ignite a raging fire of passion. The couple begins to secretly meet, and Leconte presents their slow, sensual lovemaking with a surprising and breathtaking explicitness.


It is tempting to say that this is not just a film about sex, but that’s not really true. Perfume of Yvonne IS a film about sex, specifically the mind altering effect of sex, and unapologetically so. All the subplots and questions Leconte has raised about the mysterious natures of these characters pale in importance as the intense eroticism of Girardot and Majani dominate the storyline.


And it is in these dizzyingly seductive scenes that we feel we are finally seeing the true natures of these characters; their outer pretentions having fallen away along with their expensive designer clothing. But Lecounte has a few more surprising twists in store for us, and by now, we are glad to go along and see where this winding road leads. This is a film that amuses, titillates, thrills and haunts; saved from perfection only by an ending that is, well, a bit much.


Unfortunately, Sandra Majani never made another film, but at least we have this one to remember her by. And what a memory it is.

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Intimate Strangers (2004)

Fans of intricate, character driven dramas will enjoy this film by talented director Patrice Leconte. Fabrice Luchini is terrific as a tax attorney whose dully predictable life is turned upside-down by a new client: a beautiful woman (the always excellent Sandrine Bonnaire) who, instead of ledgers and receipts, brings him woeful tales of marital strife. She has mistaken him for a nearby psychiatrist, but before Luchini can correct her, he finds himself oddly intrigued by this woman, and more than a little smitten.


Their furtive sessions continue and, slowly and methodically, fascinating questions are raised as to who is actually being deceived and for what purpose. The mysterious story is spun like a spider web, with each bit of information adding to the strength and complexity of the entire construction and each new layer adding to the film’s credibility.


It is a credit to the acumen of Luchini and Bonnaire that the story remains squarely on track as, on paper, it seems a bit far-fetched, yet there is never a moment here that feels forced or manipulative. Leconte presents a number of interesting observations on the nature of therapy itself by having virtually every character in the film, at one time or another, offer help and advice, usually with results that are more amusing than beneficial. Bonnaire’s ham-fisted attempt to cure a claustrophobic man is a welcome bit of comic relief, and reinforces the idea that therapy should usually be left to the professionals.


Eventually, both Bonnaire and Luchini - patient and ersatz doctor - become intertwined on a course that will lead either to mutual healing or violent confrontation, and this reviewer was quite happy to follow the treatment to its satisfying outcome.

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Intimate Strangers (2004)

Fans of intricate, character driven dramas will enjoy this film by talented director Patrice Leconte. Fabrice Luchini is terrific as a tax attorney whose dully predictable life is turned upside-down by a new client: a beautiful woman (the always excellent Sandrine Bonnaire) who, instead of ledgers and receipts, brings him woeful tales of marital strife. She has mistaken him for a nearby psychiatrist, but before Luchini can correct her, he finds himself oddly intrigued by this woman, and more than a little smitten.


Their furtive sessions continue and, slowly and methodically, fascinating questions are raised as to who is actually being deceived and for what purpose. The mysterious story is spun like a spider web, with each bit of information adding to the strength and complexity of the entire construction and each new layer adding to the film’s credibility.


It is a credit to the acumen of Luchini and Bonnaire that the story remains squarely on track as, on paper, it seems a bit far-fetched, yet there is never a moment here that feels forced or manipulative. Leconte presents a number of interesting observations on the nature of therapy itself by having virtually every character in the film, at one time or another, offer help and advice, usually with results that are more amusing than beneficial. Bonnaire’s ham-fisted attempt to cure a claustrophobic man is a welcome bit of comic relief, and reinforces the idea that therapy should usually be left to the professionals.


Eventually, both Bonnaire and Luchini - patient and ersatz doctor - become intertwined on a course that will lead either to mutual healing or violent confrontation, and this reviewer was quite happy to follow the treatment to its satisfying outcome.

More Info