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Crappy film

As Good As It Gets

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

I am questioning my intelligence right now on two accounts: firstly, as to what was the movie all about, secondly, as to why did I watch this film in the first place. The film storyline (or should I call it a story-curve) kept jumping from one point to another faster than Belluci takes her clothes off in the film and in the end I was moaning like Monica Belluci's love making act - but out of agony. The only positive about this picture is the copious amount of nudity, the divine figure of Monica Belluci is worth every penny of $0.00 (thanks Amazon prime) I spent on this film. But then, I was left wondering to myself that I could have easily saved so much time, energy and my precious brain cells by watching these scenes selectively at YouTube. Therefore, my first ever review on IMDb goes to warn the community to not watch this film and give a negative review which this film so eminently deserves.

"How Much Do You Love Me?" revolves around Monica Bellucci's character Daniela and the many different female roles she changes into and out of like so many pieces of clothing. She is definitely a whore and a seductress, but she may or may not also be a girlfriend, a wife, a mistress, an accomplice, and a scam artist. She is at times domineering but at others submissive and weak; at times jealously possessive but at others open and free; at times quiet and pensive but at others loud and raucous. It takes a while for all these different sides of Daniela to appear, but by the end of the film she is changing between them seemingly in the blink of an eye.Few characters in the movie can resist falling for one or more sides of Daniela, and the audience too will fall in love with the performance Monica Bellucci gives in the role. It certainly helps that Monica has the beauty and the body to pull of the role, and she is not shy about sharing her voluptuous charms with the camera. In one scene she even instructs us on how she is able to seduce her target, and it is clear that Monica Bellucci knows how to use her considerable female attributes.The other strong performance in "How Much Do You Love Me?" comes from legendary French actor Gerard Depardieu. Depardieu's character does not appear until the second half of the film, well after all the other main characters have been introduced, but Depardieu instantly captures the attention of the audience. He has played many different characters in his career, and in "How Much Do You Love Me?" he looks like he was born to play the role of an amoral gangster.The main problem I had with "How Much Do You Love Me?" is that the action starts off slowly, and what is billed as a comedy feels like a depressive drama during the first third of the film. As it turns out it takes a while for director and writer Bertrand Blier to set the stage, and the action picks up considerably in the second two thirds of the film. "How Much Do You Love Me?" never turns into a slapstick farce; instead, it is ultimately a sophisticated adult comedy about the different roles women can assume. While being entertaining it also raises some interesting questions about just what the differences and boundaries are between those roles.

Bertrand Blier, one of the most innovative provocateurs of the French Cinema, is at it again with this satire which will be viewed with pleasure or anger by his fans. Mr. Blier, who also wrote the screen play, is a man whose movies appear to be something on the surface, but he, like other Europeans are really examining the society in which they live. Therefore, it's easy to dismiss this work on the outward appearance of what one sees on screen.The premise is about how money can't buy happiness, or even sexual excitement, as is the case with the poor Francois, a man who, might, or might not, have won a fortune in the French lottery. When he spots the luscious Daniela, he wants her, at whatever cost. The way he figures, even in spite of his health, he is entitled to the gorgeous prostitute now that he has money.Little prepares Francois, an office worker, to a life with Daniella. She is rather complicated, with a pimp named Charly, who has a different plan for her and the man who has paid for her services. Charly enters their lives and everything changes, as Daniella's loyalties are put to a test.The best reason for watching this film is Monica Bellucci, an actress with a lovely face and figure. The spectator becomes riveted to the time she is on the screen. Bernard Campan is the deadpan Francois, a man whose will is put to a test when he gets more than what he bargained for. Gerard Depardieu, a man who owes his career to Mr. Blier, plays the enigmatic Charly. Farida Rahouadj, is seen as the neighbor of Francois and Jean Pierre Derroussin has a pivotal role as well."Combien tu m'aimes" is not for everyone, but true fans of Bertrand Blier will enjoy this film because of the way he provokes them into areas that are original as well as different from many filmmakers.

What a disappointment. I was expecting much more from a film coming from Bertrand Blier, who has made Tenue de Soir in the 80s, and a bunch of reasonable films since. Having Depardieu and the mind-blowing Monica Belucci in the film was not certainly enough.All the film turns around Monica Belucci. Sure, such a beauty makes man die for and can make them pay millions or kill for, the issue is that the characters in this film seem to be willing to do exactly this, and this is the whole story, not much more. One of the reasons of failure is I believe the cast. Bernard Campan in the role of the gray clerk who wins the lottery and intents to buy a beautiful Italian whore for the rest of his life is lacking charisma, and there is no chemistry between him and Monica Belucci. In other words, I can certainly understand him, but I cannot understand her, and the whole intended love story is less than credible.All around dance a bunch of characters who fail to be coherent enough, or funny, or to be able to collect any sympathy. Even Gerard Depardieu who is an actor who seemed not to be able to do wrong looks like mis-cast. Actually all characters seem under-developed, and if it were not for Monica Belucci's beauty and talent (almost completely wasted here) the film would have sunk into complete failure. It gets a few stars however, and all belong to Belucci.