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The Lover

The Lover

List Price: $14.95
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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of the greatest sex stories that I have seen
Review: This sex story (its not love story for sure - Tony Leung makes that pretty clear to Jane March when they first met on that ferry!) is captivating. It has sometimes been described as controversial. Actually the movie deserves an Oscar award!

What started purely as a "friendship of convenience" between the sexual urge of an "experienced" wealthy young Chinese man, and the "access-to-wealth feeling" urge of a nubile fresh somewhat poor French girl, does result in a slow and eventual "connection" between them.

The scenery is great, and the sex is "consensually" wonderful. The acting by Tony, Jane, her mother and her two brothers is fantastic. Jane's two brothers' sexual repression stands in stark contrast to Tony's gentle advances towards Jane. The movie is full of subtleties - for example - local people who are oblivious of Tony and Jane's flings - which show how Tony, being from a wealthy Chinese family, is considered to be an untouchable.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: a very erotic movie
Review: I've seen this movie several times but you must get the unrated version. You won't put it away. Jane March is an excellent and very sensous actress. A must see movie!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Poignant love
Review: When I first saw this film, I fell in love with it! I was watching it with some friends, and was amazed that not all of them agreed with me. The sex scenes are hot, but there is so much emotion expressed, although unsaid, that came through the acting. I was touched by the depth of feeling the two characters felt for each other, despite the differences in age, culture, and understanding. I have recommended this film to friends and to anyone who wants to see a well-made, touching, story.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Beyond the realm of the senses
Review: I watched this movie with my friend Kevin. I'm gay and Kevin is straight. Somewhere, well into this story, Kevin suggested we open a window to let in some air. He was right. It was getting way too steamy in that room. I think we both had an emotional response to this movie that went way beyond sex. This is a very beautiful film - like a dream of a summer. At the end - the final scene - when (Duras?) takes the phone call in Paris, all those years later, the pathos was palpable. And, the two of us could only say "Oh my God!" Beyond words.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A sophisticated and aesthetic look at young love
Review: The scenery in this movie is gorgeous. The plot is very well-developed, orginal, and not to mention risky- a young girl with an older man in an interracial relationship in the 1920's. This is a deep look at a young girl's coming of age and early sexuality. It is her first look at adult life, and is a good escape from her "white trash" family, poor surroundings, and boarding school where she is one of only two white students. The older man becomes not only her lover but her escape. Her character can be dislikable because she is always brutally honest; however, she is true to herself and honestly does not know if she loves the man or if she is confusing love with power, acceptance, sexual awakening, access to money, or anything else. The man insists the whole time that he loves her and seems sincere, although there is one part where he says that the only white women he could ever get were prostitutes, so he could have an ulterior motive of being with a willing white partner. In any case, this movie is a unique and sincere portrait of two very different people, both alienated in the world they live in, both aching for love, sex, and something different in their respective lives. This movie is very erotic and moving, but it also has a great, often very sad, plot. It is fantastically directed and acted out. Anyone looking for a fascinating perspective on the old unrequited love plot will enjoy it.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Doesn't quite hold together.
Review: The scenery is definitely gorgeous. The mood is incredible. You even get the single hottest sex scene in _any_ movie I've seen to date. Ultimately, though, the characters are flippant and unbelievable. There has to be some sort of depth to them, good or bad, but it's just not in the movie. It's a damned shame, because it's close, and if the director/screenplay writer had gotten it right this would be one of the finest movies made.

See it, and (definitely!) enjoy the steaminess, but don't expect a masterpiece--it falls short of that.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Consider this film in the light of the book
Review: I take it from the reviews on this site that people can't stand this film because they perceive that it has "no depth", or that its just a porno, or has too many "highbrow" aspirations, or that the voice over is redundant.

I can understand how the film can be seen as so. Everytime a film maker tries to do something different with film narrative he gets a whack. Yes, this film is sylistic. Yet it is far less stylistically innovative than the book by Duras, the blueprint which veins this film. The book is one of the most successful experiments in narrative - it is the most amazing experience to read it, and I highly recommend it - but not to anyone who is impervious to originality, and only wants the old 1-2-3, beginning-middle-end progression. However, back to the film, I think that the voice-over is to re-create the feeling of the book which loops from present to past and shifts narrative perspective continually, and also to draw attention to the lushness and sensuality of the subject matter. It creates an almost voyeuristic thrill. Why else: look at me, I'm fifteen ... And yes, I can imagine that this would disturb people, to be made more aware than usual of the vouyeurism of cinema, to be aware that they are watching someting of great sensuality and emotional complexity. I felt that the camera had a sensitivity to detail which was almost painful to watch, in that little things; the flutter of silk, the stain on the lips, and even shadows, seem to be laden.

Yes, the story is perverse. Duras herself admits to perversity - and she also had noted that sometimes people will not understand that perversity, and will therefore never understand her. Or the film, for that matter, which is a perverse thing of great beauty.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Essential
Review: Few American reviewers seemed to like this film. Much of what was said about the film seemed more to do with contempt for minimilistic moviemaking (so this is often confused as porn) rather than any any attempt to understand and appreciate the vast stories behind these characters lives. There is more story revealed in The Lover (and more emotion) than any 100 other films released in mainstream America. A film like this is important because it provokes the watcher to learn more about the the author of the book on which the movie was based. The Lover is the tip of an iceberg.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Unspeakable !
Review: I am not Going to spoil the movie for u by spreding phelosphy all over this page,like others do just trying to be "Movie Master",But I am just going to say a word that will say it all,

No Match !

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: wow
Review: I really loved this movie. Tony Leung is so sexxxyyyy in this movie.


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