A Woman's Love (2001)

To me, this movie is perfection.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

bought this movie after seeing the intriguing cover shot and was quite pleased with the outcome after viewing it. story of two very different women from social classes who have a chance encounter at a friend's birthday party. Rafaela Anderson who plays the dancer/instructor is immediately drawn to the quiet and rather introverted character played by Helene fillieres. Helene starts taking dance lessons at Rafaela's studio and the two start spending time together which soon reveals a strong physical attraction. Helene is married and has a young son which complicates the situation but despite this she continues seeing Rafaela and before one knows it the two embark on an affair. what is striking to me is the androgynous look and appeal of Helene's character who looks completely different in every angle shot or close-up. she is just stunning to gaze upon. the love scenes aren't overly explicit though i did find the sound of the wind chimes in the background a bit annoying during the scenes. there was good chemistry between the two leads which is vital to a love story and the emotions that Rafaela conveys when Helene suggests they spend time apart. difficult choices are made but the characters stay true to themselves and their heart.

AMOUR DE FEMME is a well-produced film that deals with the trials and agonies facing women who come out as lesbians. It is quiet, subtle, beautifully photographed, and is fortunate to have a fine, handsome cast directed with sensitivity by Sylvie Verheyde who also wrote the simple but elegant screenplay.Made in 2001 AMOUR DE FEMME came to the screen before the popular US television series THE L WORD, a program that has provided a healthier look at same sex relationships between women, and though there have been successful mainstream lesbian films, this particular one avoids some of the pitfalls that have prevented wide public acceptance of the others. The writer/director does not surround her two main characters with the usual bar scenes and peripheral characters that can distract from the story of a sexual discovery, but instead keeps the story tight with a small cast each of whom makes an impact on the story.Jeanne (Hélène Fillières) is a successful osteopath/wife/mother who happens to reluctantly accompany her handsome husband David (Anthony Delon) to a birthday party for his best friend Franck (Jeannick Gravelines) and there she encounters Marie (Raffaëla Anderson), a dancer, and a chemistry develops resulting in an evening Jeanne enjoys very much. Slowly Jeanne and Marie begin meeting very openly, Jeanne is honest with David about her comings and goings, but when the two women's relationship becomes physical, Jeanne is faced with decisions about her sexuality. David confronts Jeanne about Marie, Jeanne confides her shaky mental and physical state, and when David eventually confronts Jeanne in a telling way, Jeanne understands her true self and despite her deep love for her small child, realizes she must follow her heart.The cinematography both in Paris and in Normandy, where Jeanne and Marie with Marie's younger brother Moïse (Thierno Sy) have spent refreshing moments together, is stunning. Both of the actresses are not only beautiful but also talented and yield a credible attraction and passion. The entire cast is superb. The one distracting element in the film is the sound track: there is a rumbling pedal point noise that accompanies almost every scene between Jeanne and Marie and is annoyingly distracting. In French with English subtitles. The DVD is very fine in execution, but there are not extras except for some video trailers. A comment from the talented writer/director would have enhanced the release. Recommended. Grady Harp, March 06

I actually watched the film this morning. I could hardly wait for Netflix to send it. I was a bit skeptical because I've seen a lot of lesbian films that really didn't cut the mustard. This film was a beautifully made lesbian film that rivaled most heterosexual romantic films I've seen. The one reason I got the film was due to the fact that Rafaela Anderson was in it. I had seen her in Baise Moi and think that she's an awesome actress as well as attractive. I'm not a lesbian but I'm very open sexually and thought the sex scenes were done very nicely, and not overly done like most films. There was a subtle awakening of love between these two characters, which put you right in the picture. You could actually see the love unfolding right before your eyes which is beautiful to me. There was never a butch, femme type of scenario in this film either, which happens in most lesbian erotica films. The fact that this woman was married and had a son was even more alluring. This movie showed two attractive women, who fell in love and make a choice at the end that will leave audiences guessing or wanting more. You watch and decide. The best lesbian love story I have ever seen.

"Amour de Femme" is a French TV flick which tells of a married woman (Fillières) osteopath with a young son who falls in love with am unmarried female dance instructor (Anderson). The film flows with the same natural grace and delicacy we've all seen in heterosexual romantic films bringing love to life from the initial encounter to the tender beginnings to the ultimate realization and beyond. Though the film deals with the married woman's inner turmoil and spousal conflicts, those tempestuous elements are minimalized with the body of the film dedicated to creating a palpable love with only brief sex and nudity. The fact that both women are extraordinarily beautiful makes this film an idealized rendering of lesbian love which is a pleasure to watch. Should be an enjoyable film for same sex couples with some appeal for the general public interested in the premise. (B)