Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- provocative
- austere
- intimate
- arthouse film night
- adult cinema discussion
What critics said
Critics broadly recognized Catherine Breillat's provocative examination of female sexuality and the power dynamics of desire, while finding the film uneven and emotionally abrasive.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Marie remains deeply attached to Paul while pursuing sexual experiences elsewhere because he refuses intimacy.
Marie seeks to define her own sexuality through increasingly risky encounters and refuses to accept her boyfriend's terms of intimacy.
The film places bondage, sadism, nudity, and sexual encounters within Marie's emotional crisis and search for identity.
Catherine Breillat's French production treats explicit sexuality as an austere, provocative vehicle for psychological and feminist inquiry.
Films like Romance, and why
The Piano Teacher
sexually explicit arthouse drama examining female desire, intimacy, and power through confrontational realism
In the Realm of the Senses
provocative erotic drama centered on female sexuality, emotional alienation, and transgressive desire
Betty Blue
intimate European drama exploring sexual frustration, infidelity, and the conflict between romantic attachment and bodily autonomy
Movie Details
- Director
- Catherine Breillat
- Release Date
- 1999-04-14
- Runtime
- 99 min
- Rating
- 5.5 / 10 (315)
Cast
- Caroline Ducey
- Sagamore Stévenin
- François Berléand
- Rocco Siffredi
- Reza Habouhossein
- Ashley Wanninger
- Emma Colberti
- Fabien de Jomaron
- Carla
- Pierre Maufront
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Romance about?
- A sexually frustrated schoolteacher separates love from desire, entering a perilous search for bodily autonomy and sexual identity.
- What is Romance like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Romance as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Romance violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Romance as mild.
- What did critics think of Romance?
- Critics broadly recognized Catherine Breillat's provocative examination of female sexuality and the power dynamics of desire, while finding the film uneven and emotionally abrasive.
- Which films are like Romance?
- Films with a similar feel include The Piano Teacher, In the Realm of the Senses, and Betty Blue.
- How long is Romance?
- Romance runs 99 minutes.
- Where can I watch Romance?
- In United States, Romance is available to rent or buy from Fandango At Home.
