L'Ennui

France / Portugal, 1998. Directed by Cédric Kahn. Charles Berling, Sophie Guillemin, Arielle Dombasle, Robert Kramer.

Fascinating French film about obsessional love - or perhaps simply about obsessional sex. A fairly basic plot (bored philosophy lecturer has an affair with a gauche, much younger woman) turns into a nightmare scenario as he craves her more and more whilst simultaneously despising and mistreating her. It's an exercise in showing how an intense physical relationship can be overwhelming and yet still not enough if emotional intimacy is lacking. The young woman here seems unable to give the man what he wants, despite her physical compliance with his sexual demands. Not as good as it might look on the surface, but in its graphic scenes it does succeed in showing how sex without joy can be unrewarding and, yes, ultimately even boring.