La mujer prohibida

A companion film to 1990's "Le Mari de la coiffeuse."

Although the lead actress gives a fine performance, "La Femme défendue" is little more than another Bill Clintonesque middle-age fantasy telling the story of a married man chasing young women. This time, the camera lens has full-time duty capturing the POV of the seducer. We see the woman-chasing through the chaser's own eyes -- the whole entire length of the film.

Unfortunately, instead of lifting this piece of self-indulgence to the level of art, "La Femme défendue" moves at a sloth's pace with all the grace and class of a beer-belly trailer park Bubba. Chasing a West Wing intern with a French accent -- a must skip!

Harel's film, not distributed in the United States, is an uncommonly insightful study of an adulterous affair and perhaps the only film to use a First Person POV in a way that's successful as more than merely a conceit.

Harel is an Parisian executive who seduces a woman circa 20 years his junior, and slowly falls in love with her. The film employs a consistent subjective vantage point (we see his face only twice, as a reflection), daring us to identify with this man in an amoral act for which he has little guilt, whereupon we realize how truly likely it is we might find ourselves in this position. It's more than merely tantalizing; it's challenging and remarkably adult, but without ever becoming austere. Isabelle Carré, who plays his interest, is excellent here, almost always in the dead center of an unbroken shot, in which we watch her melt, break, harden, and everything else.

It's fascinating to witness the complete shift of power and control from Harel, initially the dominant pursuant, to Carré, initially the helpless conquest. At the film's end, the viewer is left with a potent impression of adulterous romance not as it occurs in the likes of 'Fatal Attraction,' but as it might occur to him.

The film is unique in the way it puts the viewer in the middle of an immoral action. Seeing the extremely cute Muriel being seduced by a person who is somehow yourself is certainly a masculine sexual phantasy. I enjoyed very much letting my alter ego do the seduction work while being able to relax in my armchair and watch Muriel melting away. And in the end, I was quite happy to be able to leave that alter ego behind. What a nice ability - never to be found in the real world. Original idea and very good acting!

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.

This movie wouldn't be the same, and it wouldn't be so good either, without the presence of a marvelous "fragile" actress named Isabelle Carre. She just changes the movie, with her natural way of speaking (very charming), her spontaneity, her beauty ! Waouuu, probably this is the first time I "fell in love" with a fictional character.

Anyway, she really performs her role brilliantly, and that's the reason why you should at least take a look at this movie, just for Isabelle Carre.