| Love Me Strangely | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Sergio Gobbi |
| Written by | Dominique Fabre Sergio Gobbi |
| Starring | Virna Lisi |
| Cinematography | Daniel Diot |
| Music by | Georges Garvarentz |
| Release date |
|
| Language | French |
Love Me Strangely (French: Un beau monstre, Italian: Il bel mostro, also known as A Strange Love Affair, Two Girls in My Bed and A Handsome Monster) is a 1971 French-Italian drama film written and directed by Sergio Gobbi. It is loosely based on the novel Un beau monstre by Dominique Fabre. It starred Virna Lisi, Helmut Berger, Francoise Brion and Howard Vernon.
Plot
Alain Revent sadistically abuses women. In the beginning of the movie, he is shown making his wife find an unidentified object, most likely a bottle of medicine. The woman doesn't seem to find it and is in an intense state of terror because of the abuse Alain perpetuated with her. The woman, driven to suicide, leaps out of a window as soon as Alain leaves the room for a moment.
He enlists the aid of another pervert named Dino, known as "the handsome beast", and they proceed to emotionally torment his second wife, Nathalie. Officer Leroy begins to suspect the truth and is determined to save the unfortunate woman from Alain's clutches before she too is driven to suicide. The woman is driven to anorexia because of the abuse she has been suffering. Alain hides her bottle of medicine.
After a visit from Alain's friend, Dino, she decides that she wants a divorce. Alain reacted in a threatening way. He proceeds to rape the woman in her sleep and use the excuse that she's pregnant as an excuse to not divorce, which came as a shock to the woman. She then recalls the moments Alain raped her.The woman runs away from her house, in fear. However, as she developed a slight dependence on Alain, she tells the officers that she doesn't need help and that Alain needs her. She stops at a hotel where she gets a call from the man, telling her that he's coming to find her.
After they reunite, they kiss passionately, then they go home, quietly. However, in the last scene of the movie, the police are shown investigating something that is revealed to be the bodies of Nathalie and Alain next to each other on the ground. The two spouses have most likely committed suicide together.
Cast
- Virna Lisi : Nathalie Revent
- Helmut Berger : Alain Revent
- Charles Aznavour : Inspector Leroy
- Alain Noury : Dino
- Françoise Brion : Jacqueline
- Édith Scob : Sylvie Revent
- Marc Cassot : Vincent
- Yves Brainville : Commissioner Dedru
- Henri Crémieux : Professor Richet
- André Chanu : Dr. Schwartz
- Jacques Castelot : Wassermann
- Georges Berthomieu : Toxicolog
- Guy Marly : Chemist
- Michel Peyrelon : Maître d'hôtel
- Dominique Marcas : Une voisine
- Howard Vernon : Administrateur de biens
- Robert Berri : Concierge d'Alain
- Seda Aznavour : Voisine d'Alain
- Paul Pavel : Livreur
- Paul Bonifas : Portier de l'hôtel
- Alberto Farnese : Alain's friend
References
- Roberto Chiti; Roberto Poppi; Enrico Lancia. Dizionario del cinema italiano: I film. Gremese, 1991. ISBN 8876059350.
- Aa. Vv. La Revue du cinéma, image et son. Ligue française de l'enseignement et de l'éducation permanente, 1971.
External links
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