Rating: NNNNN
UNE LIAISON PORNOGRAPHIQUE (Frédéric Fonteyne, 1999) recounts an affair that begins in the personal ads of a porn magazine, but that’s the only pornographic thing about it. Once the fantasy is dispensed with, this film carries on in the style of so many French love stories — sharp, tender and knowing. Une Liaison Pornographique hit the film festival circuit at the same time as Catherine Breillat’s art-raunch rave-up, which is called Romance. More than one wag suggested the two films swap titles. But at its best, there’s a lovely pudeur to Une Liaison Pornographique. It plays like Last Tango In Paris as conceived by a poetical tea-sipper. In fact, with its detailed performances from Nathalie Baye and Sergi López, burnished triphop soundtrack and quiet, aching moments, it’s a bit of a rainy-day, lonely hearts movie. But that’s exactly the source of its charm. NNN (November 26-28, Bloor)not a porn story