Francois promises to pay one hundred thousand Euros per month to a prostitute if she agrees to stay with him till his money ends. Will she succumb to his offer?
How Much Do You Love Me? (2005)
Title: How Much Do You Love Me? (2005) – Movie Review of Bertrand Blier’s Erotic French Romance
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Read our review of How Much Do You Love Me? (2005), a provocative French romantic drama by Bertrand Blier starring Monica Bellucci and Gérard Depardieu. Discover why this surreal love story blends eroticism, comedy, and melancholy.
How Much Do You Love Me? (2005) – Review
If you’re a fan of European cinema or intrigued by surreal romantic dramas, How Much Do You Love Me? (Combien tu m’aimes?) is a French film that deserves your attention. Directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Bertrand Blier, the movie offers a daring mix of eroticism, dark comedy, and existential reflection.
Plot Summary
The story begins in a red-light district in Paris where a lonely man named François (Bernard Campan) offers a stunning prostitute, Daniela (Monica Bellucci), an irresistible proposal: come live with him in exchange for a generous monthly allowance—financed by a lottery win. What starts as a transactional arrangement quickly spirals into a bizarre, emotional entanglement, made even more complicated by the arrival of Daniela’s possessive lover, Charly (Gérard Depardieu).
Themes and Style
How Much Do You Love Me? is not your typical love story. It dives into themes of desire, obsession, and fantasy, with surreal dialogue and unexpected narrative turns. Blier’s signature absurdist style challenges viewers to question the nature of love and the price of intimacy.
The film’s tone shifts unpredictably between comedy, melancholy, and erotic tension—held together by Blier’s sharp script and the dreamlike cinematography. Monica Bellucci captivates in a role that is both vulnerable and magnetic, while Depardieu adds gravity as the emotionally volatile Charly.
Performances
- Monica Bellucci delivers a sensual yet emotionally complex performance, embodying a woman caught between freedom and dependency.
- Bernard Campan offers a subtle portrayal of quiet desperation and fleeting happiness.
- Gérard Depardieu, as always, commands attention with a layered performance that adds emotional weight to the film’s more surreal moments.
Final Verdict
This is not a film for everyone—it’s art-house cinema with a touch of the surreal. But for those open to a provocative and unconventional story, How Much Do You Love Me? offers a unique look at the fragile, messy, and sometimes absurd nature of love.
Rating: 7.5/10
Visually elegant, emotionally strange, and unmistakably French.
Tags: Monica Bellucci, French cinema, erotic romance, Bertrand Blier, Gérard Depardieu, European film reviews, surreal love story, foreign films 2005
