Synopsis

Balding, elfin-eared Francois enters a hooker-in-the-window joint in Paris’ Pigalle district to meet the woman who has become his obsession, the voluptuous, gorgeous Daniela. Her attention can be had for 150 Euros and an extravagant bottle of champagne. Francois doesn’t balk at the cost. Instead, he reveals that he has just won 4 million 542,000 euro in the lottery and offers Daniela 100,000 Euros a month to live with him until the money runs out. Daniela accepts and appears to cheerfully transform herself into the highly sexed domestic goddess of every man’s dreams. But Francois has a debilitating heart condition and Daniela’s unnerving gangster boyfriend Charly is not ready to let her go without a fight. The fact that Daniela is a sex worker implies that any man with the necessary cash can have her. But even though Francois can pay to touch her, can he get under her skin?

What The Critics Say

"For those who buy into Blier's style, touching -- and funny -- human truths come shining through." Lisa Nesselson VARIETY "While lightheartedness is not a quality one readily associates with Blier, the movie is more frankly entertaining than most of his previous work." Bernard Besserglik HOLLYWOOD REPORTER "A mostly coherent fable that poses as a particularly low-brow sex comedy set in a faux high-brow, very stylised version of the Parisian night." Boyd Van Hoeij EUROPEANFILMS.NET "Blier's fascination for these sex-obsessed characters is complemented by his striking use of the widescreen, his off-the-wall sense of humour, and a soundtrack composed of opera excerpts and a haunting musical theme. The actors are all excellent, but the film, like many of Blier's films, is a bit over-extended given the slimness of the premise." David Stratton ABC 'AT THE MOVIES' "Unlike many men, I'm not always fascinated by large breasts." ....."Monica Bellucci is certainly well cast as Bertrand Blier's anti-heroine; her curves amply fill the role Blier seems to have had in mind for them." Mark Lavercombe HOOPLA REVIEWS

"Listen, I don't know why, but this film, and I'm not a mad fan of French films, but I really, really liked this. I thought the subtitles were really well done. I just think it just got onto a really lovely level, where, you know, if you cannot jump on for the ride you react against it. But if you embrace it, then I think you have a lovely time with the film." Margaret Pomeranz ABC 'AT THE MOVIES' "Bellucci has fun playing off her legendary status as a sex symbol here. She is prepared to play the femme fatale to the limit of her ability, which is - aaah - quite an ability." Julian Wood FILMINK "It’s a soft porn premise – Bellucci’s voluptuous curves loom large and fleshy in every second scene. Flawed but refreshingly 'out there'." Jason Di Rosso RADIO NATIONAL "I think of Bertrand Blier as French film's most persistent veteran of the so-called war between the sexes, as well as its most eccentrically old-fashioned. .... while he casts Bellucci as a whore in "How Much Do You Love Me?", he's out to adore, rather than demean her. He sees her instead as an old-fashioned sex goddess a la the early Sophia Loren." Sandra Hall THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

The Inside Story "Cars are for fucking, rooms are for making love" says former whore turned mistress, Daniela. And perhaps she's right. I mean, what red-blooded hetrosexual man, if given the opportunity, wouldn't jump at the chance to fuck the gorgeous, well endowed Daniela, whether it be in a car, a room, a dimly lit alley or anywhere for that matter. Of course it must be remembered, women like her don't come cheap, because women like Daniela know their true worth to a man. In "How Much Do You Love Me" the value of Daniela's services in 100,000 euros or $168,148 in Australian currency per month. For all my theorizing it seems that there 'are' some men who can't handle women such as Daniela. André Migot can't. When Francois calls upon his good doctor friend and asks him to examine Daniela [who is suffering from nausea], the site of her well proportioned, firm breasts is enough to send him crashing to the floor from a siezure, the end result of which is an early grave Andre`. "How Much Do You Love Me" is full of surprises and surprising encounters, especially when Daniela's 'Godfather' Charly turns up to claim his rights. When Gérard Depardieu [Charly] joins Monica Bellucci [Daniela] and Bernard Campan [François] on the screen the film definately goes up another notch. Charly's dry wit comes to the fore in a house party scene which is the start of Depardieu stealing the film from right under the noses of his two co-stars, or in the case of Bellucci, those famous breasts. And it seems I'm not alone in my assessment when it comes to Depardieu. Highly respected Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert in his review of director/writer Bertrand Blier's "How Much Do You Love Me" said, "Depardieu is one of the most endlessly fascinating actors of our time." And he's right you know! So where did the idea for this wickedly delightful story come from? "I first thought of a guy who spends his evenings in a bar where a beautiful woman hangs out, which is quite a common scenario. I live near Pigalle," says Bertrand Blier "and it’s happened to me before to pass by some bars frequented by really gorgeous girls, not just pretty, but absolutely stunning." Does that mean he wrote the part of Daniela with Monica Bellucci in mind? "Of course!" he said. "This movie only exists because one day I went to see the Gaspard Noe film "Irreversible", which I loved because I was transfixed by Monica’s screen-presence. In the history of Cinema, I had never seen that, even with someone like Marilyn Monroe." But Monroe and Bellucci are worlds apart as actresses surely? "I am not comparing the talent of each actress but the audacity, the freedom of movement, the body, the 'explosion' of presence," he explained, adding "and all this while remaining fully-clothed!" It is here I must point out that while Munroe kept her clothes on in her feature films, Bellucci bares plenty of flesh in "How Much Do You Love Me" with her breasts getting plenty of screen-time. Women are, it seems, a big driving force for Blier when it comes to film-making. "I have had the chance to work with some great actors. But I think with Monica Bellucci, it is different, I have never experienced that before. I am not talking about talent. I have filmed some big actresses," he says. "Carole Bouquet, she personifies absolute beauty, but that is different. Monica lights up the room. She arrives, sits down, smokes a cigarette and fills the room with her presence. Everyone wants to sleep with her, that is a given, even if we are not sex addicts." Many will agree with Blier's assessment that Bellucci is a very attractive women who oozes sexuality whether she is wearing clothes or not. "In a movie with Monica Bellucci, immodesty is impossible. Everything is suggested by the clothes that she wears. The more dressed she is, the more disturbing and exciting she is. It is a movie based on an actress, and made for this actress. I would not have made it with someone else. It would have made no sense. Because she has got both a sensuality and a spontaneity that are so unique." And how does Blier see his film? "Overall, it is a cutesy, cuddly movie, a little bit like a pet you have to take for a walk," he said. "Yet the story itself is quite violent, dangerous and a little bit immoral because women aren’t usually 'bought'. It’s not the done thing." Many cinemagoers will find that while there is a serious side to "How Much Do You Love Me" it's actually very humorous in many, many ways. It's a film you really need to 'let your hair down' with. Rather than look for the exploitive side of a womans life as a prostitute one should see the funnier side of many of the situations that arise in Daniela's life after she meets Francois. After all Blier says his latest film is a comedy. Was he sure of that? "Absolutely", he said. "All my movies are comedies. I have never made a serious movie. All my characters are half-wits!" Having seen the complexity of the characters which feature in the film, whether they are half-wits or not, begas the question; Did Blier have any trouble writing the screenplay? It seems not for as he recalls, "it came to me easily, just like that, the first pages, the first scene. Once I had the first scene down, the rest just flowed. It is as simple as that." For Italian actress Monica Bellucci, working with Blier was a whole new experience. "Blier is a cultured man who loves cinema," she says. "He is also rude and not at all politically correct." The actress who wowed the world when she appeared in that sensational film "Malena" admits it was a little scary. "I was very scared when I started the movie because there was a lot of dialogue, and the role forced me to use different registers of language." Never the less she saw starring in "How Much Do You Love Me" as another stage in the developement of her film career. "Until now, I have always had different, interesting roles, be it in "Irreversible", "Agents Secrets" or "The Passion of the Christ". I think this role definitely represents an evolution in my acting career." The woman elected [in 2004] the most beautiful woman in the world by French viewers on the TV show "La Plus belle femme du monde" recently gave birth to a daughter Deva [September 12th 2004]. Working on the film and having Deva with her was something she really appreciated. It's something she was completely happy with. "As a woman, I feel happier. Motherhood was really something I wanted to experience. Falling pregnant, giving birth, breast-feeding, all of that has fulfilled me. During the shooting, my daughter was with me in the caravan and it helped me a lot. Shooting a love scene and breastfeeding two minutes later, it was beautiful to me, it felt very healthy as an actress and a woman. Actually, always having my daughter with me helps me forget how much I work." As for actor Bernard Campan, he says he really enjoyed working with Blier. "It was a great experience. We worked in a studio for a few weeks, on the same set. It was comforting to work in the same environment everyday. Bernard never appeared to be stressed. Whenever there was a problem, he would go back to his desk, smoke his pipe and re-read the scene to better understand and reconcile the points of view of the author and the director." And working with Bellucci? "Bertrand does not like to rehearse, he prefers improvisation. We simply block the scene and film it from there, which is not easy to do. During the love scenes with Monica, we were looking for simplicity without asking too many questions. Between takes we would find ourselves naked, together in bed, talking about our characters." When asked to give his opinion on what the film is about, Campan describes "How Much Do You Love Me" as, "A love story with a happy ending, but not without many surprises, incidents and emotions along the way! It’s definitely a Blier film! Of all his films, it’s the most stripped back and raw, which makes it so dynamic." The Verdict "There's a lot to love and like about "How Much Do You Love Me". Monica Bellucci is as always is ravishingly; Gérard Depardieu is again a joy to watch and as for Bernard Campan, he's the perfect foil for both his co-stars. If you are a lover of either French cinema or 'art house' films then "How Much Do You Love Me" will provide a satisfying experience. In French with very clear subtitling. Recommended viewing. 3 STARS." Cast & Crew Bytes "HOW MUCH DO YOU LOVE ME" stars .......
Monica Bellucci ["Malèna", "Irréversible", "Tears Of The Sun" and "The Brothers Grimm"]; Bernard Campan ["The Telephone Always Rings Twice", "The Three Brothers", "Accidental Saint" and "Lightweight"]; Jean-Pierre Darroussin ["The Taste Of Others", "A Private Affair", "If I Were A Rich Man" and "A Very Long Engagement"]; Farida Rahouadj ["The Girl In The Air", "Living in Paradise" and "L' Été de Noura"], Sara Forestier ["The War In Paris", "L' Esquive"], "Le Courage d'aimer" and "Hell"] and Gérard Depardieu ["Bon voyage", "Nathalie", "Tais-toi!" and "Last Holiday"] as Charly.
"HOW MUCH DO YOU LOVE ME" was .......
directed by Bertrand Blier ["Hitler - Never Heard of Him", "Ménage", "Too Beautiful for You " and "My Man"]; screenplay by Bertrand Blier ["Breakdown", "Get Out Your Handkerchiefs, "My Best Friend's Girl" and "Les Acteurs"]; costume design by Catherine Leterrier ["Gorillas in the Mist", "The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc", "The Truth About Charlie" and "Bon voyage"]; cinematography by François Catonné ["The Bastard", "Terrorists in Retirement", "Absolutely Fabulous" and "The Landlords"]; production design by François de Lamothe ["He Died with His Eyes Open", "The Supper" and "The Greenhouse"] produced by Olivier Delbosc ["Teacher In Bikini", "Samurai", "The Pleasure Is All Mine" and "Anthony Zimmer"] and Marc Missonnier ["Under The Sand", "8 femmes", "The Pleasure Is All Mine" and "Anthony Zimmer"]. Run Time 95 minutes Rated MA15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2006 - Palace Films Aust - All Rights Reserved Copyright Protected © 2006 - Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved