POST COITUM A film review by Steve Rhodes Copyright 1998 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): ***
Post Coitum is an unusual film about human sexual relations - both because it's told completely from the woman's perspective and because it shows graphically but always tastefully the heat of passion.
Starting with a close-up of a cat with a serious case of heat, director Brigitte Rouan cuts to a scene of herself - she's also the star - alone in bed in a similar fit of heat. The remarkably frank story by Santiago Amigorena, Jean-Louis Richard, Brigitte Rouan and Guy Zylberstein studies the impact of an affair by a middle-aged married woman, Diane Clovier (Rouan), a successful publisher who nurtures her authors like their mother.
Diane has a wonderful husband, a successful trial lawyer named Phillipe (Patrick Chesnais), and two lovely young teenage sons. Diane is a good "mum," who likes playing soccer with her boys in the park. With her everywoman looks - attractive but nothing special - Rouan is the perfect choice for the part.
Into her life one day walks a young hunk named Emilio Pessi, played with animal instincts by a suave and sexy Boris Terral who, with his long curly hair and deep eyes, would attract any woman's attention. Emilio tells her he is a "plumber," a "hydraulic engineer for the Third World" to be precise.
Soon they are locked in the throws - and I do mean throws - of passion. Most movies about adultery have a quick tryst and then the character spends the rest of the movie in anguish. POST COITUM, on the other hand, doesn't pull any punches in showing the joy of the affair. When the movie turns tragic, Rouan the director should have retained better control of Rouan the actor, but in the protagonist's downfall, as in her ecstasy, her emotions are quite palpable.
The movie is encumbered with two needless side-plots. One involves a murderer whom Phillipe is defending, and another is about an author suffering from second-book syndrome. Eliminating both would have made for a cleaner narrative.
"Absolute passion is a tragedy," Phillipe says in a practice summation to the jury about a case of an elderly murderer. His speech is filled with double meanings. If someone had defended Diane's actions, they might argue that she loved too much and none too wisely.
POST COITUM runs 1:37. The movie is in French with English subtitles. It is not rated but would probably get an R for nudity, graphic sex, and profanity. The movie is not appropriate for teenagers.
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