Desire

Wow, other reviewers see this as pornography. Take another look. It's about connection and disconnection in French society, in which sex and discussions about sex are used as a central vehicle for showing relations between men and women in French society (or at least younger ones). Note that the director never shows anything above the waist of the nude women in the shower chattering away about sex and men. Note that all the characters are missing each other needs and hence at odds and frustrated. Note the scene in the plaza where everyone is self-absorbed. Note that the author starts the movie with a message that he still believes love is possible.

Where the movie fails most is not in its failure to do more than vaguely allude to the background situation - unemployment and a shipyard strike. Why those are even there is never clarified. Rather, it was the director's inability to bring the story to completion without implanting an implausibly happy ending that left me wondering what was the point of it all. If French social relations are pretty much the same as they were 25 years ago, then the director's gotten quite a bit right. Unfortunately, he didn't know where to go with it. That's why, in spite of the good acting (for the most part), I gave it only six stars.

Its hard to make a drama erotic, the more complex if its the other way around. Q is an erotica at its dramatic best, a distant topper in the genre. The plot evolves with lives of some characters revolving around Cecile, the protagonist in the drama, and how she change their lives. Too much subtle the screenplay at times, that we tend to lose it quite easily. And thankfully, the erotic scenes never shadows the feel of the movie which makes it engaging throughout.

The creditable performances from the cast imprints the quality of the drama, and quite deceitfully we get obsessed with the protagonist played by the gorgeous Déborah Révy - a rare breed of voluptuousness and acting prowess. The movie for all its sensuousness should be indebted to some unseen good locale, complemented well by good cinematography. A must stop port this for the erotica lovers, and a good watch for other movie goers. Its an erotica at its dramatic best. 6.5/10

But a very effective movie. I had no idea watching this, that it would have graphic nudity in it. Nor that it would also include actual penetration (oral sex and more). But that is not the reason I was positively surprised by this movie. The performances did it. And the fact, that the woman actually feel real in this one. They have their problems and desires and feel like well thought persons, which unfortunately even in "normal" movies is not always the case.

If you don't have a problem with the sexual and erotic nature of the movie, you will watch a drama that is very well made. Interestingly enough by a man, who obviously wanted to break with some conventions and clichés. But remember, this is more an drama that is erotic/sexual, than erotic with some added drama!

Once again, with the everlasting stigma of being misnamed porn, "Q (Desire)" is in fact a raw and unfiltered exploration of sexuality, desire, and the search for connection. The two protagonists are key players in this intricate emotional tapestry, erratic and poorly written, certainly, but whose psychologies reveal the depths of the human experience. The bravery of actresses Déborah Révy and Hélène Zimmer in a disgustingly hypocritical world, where reactionary social conventions label the most explicit exposure of the human body as pornography or indecency, is something we should all reflect on, rather than ostracizing them in shame (we have barely been able to see either of them in future projects due to a fundamentally sexist and even misogynistic pigeonholing).

"Q (Desire)" is an erotic drama that intertwines the lives of several people in a social context marked by the economic crisis. The film centers on Cécile, a 20-year-old woman who, after the death of her father, finds herself helpless and seeking solace in her friendships and a series of sexual experiences that confront her own fantasies and desires. Cécile explores complex relationships and the search for pleasure and connection with different characters. Among them, the insecure Alice, misunderstood by her rigid and overprotective mother, yearns for a great romance, although her relationship with Matt doesn't offer the security she seeks. Through encounters and disagreements, the story delves into human desire and how it can disrupt people's lives, with Cécile serving as a catalyst that connects everyone and turns the lives of those she meets upside down.

The recurrent use of sex in the form of fellatio, masturbation, or the act of love itself, in various explicit but very natural and elegant sequences (the sequence of the two protagonists in the ferry bathroom offers one of the most intensely erotic moments I've ever witnessed in a film) serves to weave empowerment, but also victimization. Cécile uses her sexuality as an autonomous tool, always choosing with whom, when, and how, which gives her a powerful sense of control in her life. Her willingness to expose herself can be interpreted as a desire to be observed, desired, and validated. There is an underlying need to feel attractive and significant, to confirm her own existence through the gaze and desire of others.

Alice is Cécile's emotional counterpart, a young woman on the threshold of coming of age, exploring her sexuality and identity with a mixture of curiosity and naiveté. Her initial relationship with Matt is her first foray into sexual intimacy. This dynamic represents the conventional adolescent paradigm of romance and sex. However, there is a subtle dissatisfaction in Alice, a restlessness that suggests this "normalcy" isn't enough to satisfy her deepest desires or her growing "secret" curiosity. Alice is a more contemplative and sensitive character. Although she doesn't directly participate in Cécile's activities, she is a keen observer of the complexities and emotional consequences of these interactions.

I really liked this film. It was shot in lovely locations in the French countryside, on the beach-front and in little town cafés, and it featured a host of beautiful actors and actresses (many of them non-professional). Yes there is a lot of explicit (non-simulated) sex and nudity throughout but for a film which is about exploring the central role of sexuality in our modern lives it makes sense and I didn't find it either offensive or pornographic. Though very sexually explicit the scenes were tasteful and beautifully shot. It was also quite a funny film. You could definitely watch this with your girlfriend or boyfriend.

I wish all countries could treat sexuality in a matter-of-fact way like this as the French do.