French cinema is one of the few national cinemas in the realm of 'world cinema' which has always made it a point to portray the richness of human relationships especially male-female relationships. For this reasons, both love stories and films about sex have been made in large numbers in France. An erudite cinema enthusiast needs to watch classics such as 'Un Homme Et Une Femme' by Claude Lelouch or "Nuit D'été En Ville' by Michel Deville. There are also films which go a step further by discussing both love and sex in a single artistic setting. Director Patrick Schulmann's film 'Et la Tendresse ?... Bordel ! is one such film. In this film, he examines the scope of tenderness in love through the romantic as well as sex lives of three couples who don't have anything much in common. The overall pace of the film is little slow as director Patrick Schulmann chose to film different vignettes from these three couples' lives in order to make a generalized statement about the importance of tenderness in relationships involving love between a man and a woman. The incidents and situations portrayed in these vignettes are highly inventive and enable viewers to enjoy the film thoroughly. Some acting performances seem to stand out especially witty repartees by legendary Swiss actor Jean Luc Bideau who wouldn't like to miss any opportunity to drag a 'Mademoiselle' in bed. French Actor Bernard Giraudeau is also able to charm viewers with his portrayal of a man in love who spends most of his time in conducting opinion polls. Lastly, according to New York Times, Et la Tendresse ?... Bordel ! was translated in English as 'Tenderness, my fanny ! for American audiences.
