The Man Who Loved Women [1977] DVD

The Man Who Loved Women [1977] - A deceptively simple film, Francois Truffaut's The Man Who Loved Women is neither an indictment nor an apology for philandering; rather, it's a courageous, lovi (...) See more See less

ngly detailed portrait of a complex, intelligent man suffering from an altogether intractable complaint. Scientist Bertrand Morane, "never in the company of men after 5", seduces women by evening and writes about the experiences in the early morning. Though 40-ish and somewhat square, no woman in the town of Montpelier seems capable of resisting his earnest advances. Not much else happens in them film, but in the hands of master visual storyteller Truffaut, the threadbare plot accumulates deep and ominous philosophical resonances. What drives Morane from woman to woman, and what accounts for his remarkable success? Does he secretly dislike women and consider them interchangeable (as one of the more prurient characters charges, to Morane's genuine befuddlement), or is his enthusiasm a kind of celebration? Truffaut refuses to answer plainly, but does drop clues; as his camera focuses on everyday objects, many take on a chilling, otherworldly lustre, and coldly foreshadow Morane's fate. This film was clumsily remade in English in 1983 by Blake Edwards, with Burt Reynolds assuming the role played here with such understated skill by the wonderful Charles Denner. --Miles Bethany (Description excerpted from: Amazon)