Review of Lover (1992) by Charles James I — 30 Jul 2009

Woa. I gather this is a common initial reaction to this film.

Intense, and powerful sexual energy exudes from this film's essence. It is a palpable and extremely thick spirit and vigor, that you can almost smell, and breathe directly into your glands.. a chemical reaction begins to occur. Pheromones that pierce your libido something fierce. An unrelenting force enters your body, as you are consumed with tingling sensations and shudders.

(observation).

So Jane March is gorgeous. I remember her fondly from "The Color Purple" as an adolescent. (Terrible movie btw). Here is the thing that weirded me out though. When we meet the character of the young girl, she is only 15 and a half, yet we see her fully nude, and having simulated sex that seems too real at times. I am all about breaking through barriers and limitations of what is sociably acceptable regarding sex, but this is definitely something that is generally frowned upon by society in the US. Was I offended? Gosh no. Just a thought.

Jean-Jacques Annaud attempts to "dignify sex" in this film. Do you flixters agree that this was accomplished? I'm not sure. I think an important theme in this film, is the correlations we draw from lust, that are turned into an illusion of love. It's a very interesting subject on the matter of human behavior. I agree with Freud in the sense that a majority of our thoughts as men, and as human beings in general, revolves around sexual desire. I think a topic like this becomes very uncomfortable for people who have not explored, or properly matured in to their sexuality. I love how bold this film is, and how it attacks your personal defenses and barriers.

So more on lust, and the illusion of love. It seemed, that the more 'dignified' the relationship got between the man and the young girl, the more it drifted apart. The idea that love cannot exist under such circumstances, really makes you think about what love truly is. We are lying to ourselves if we don't think lust has any part to do with love. I believe this is the source, and the root of a solid foundation of love. The culmination of this film, is the realization that this fact is true, and very much so possible.

This, is essentially, a beautiful film. The acting, coupled with minimal dialogue, and smooth photography, takes you on a slow boat ride into a new realm and ocean of sexuality. An important lesson is taught, to love without fear. This is the kind of film, that takes a little piece of your soul with it, as the credits role, and you sit dumbfounded, deeply contemplating life and love.