Product Description

Renowned French director François Truffaut is "at the top of his form" (The Hollywood Reporter) in this whimsical, lively story about an eccentric casanova who loves every woman he meetsliterally! Irresistibly "charming" (Leonard Maltin) and "witty" (Independent Film Journal), thisplayful romantic comedy is heartwarming, hilarious and highly entertaining! Bertrand Morane (Charles Denner) is a ladies' man like no other. Wholly obsessed with the female species, he goesto outrageous lengths for the prospect of a fleeting romantic encounter. But when he documents all of his passionate flings in a racy autobiography, he piques the interestboth personally and professionallyof a beautiful and provocative editor named Genevieve (Brigitte Fossey). And as the two begin to play the game of proverbial predator and prey, Bertrand is surprised to discover that he might just be the one who gets trapped by true love!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #65093 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-01-23
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Letterboxed, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: French, Spanish
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 119 minutes

Amazon.com essential video
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 40ish and somewhat square, no woman in the town of Montpelier seems capable of resisting his earnest advances. Not much else happens in The Man Who Loved Women, but in the hands of master visual storyteller François 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, otherwordly luster, and coldly foreshadow Morane's fate. A deceptively simple film, The Man Who Loved Women is neither an indictment nor an apology for philandering; rather, it's a courageous, lovingly detailed portrait of a complex, intelligent man suffering from an altogether intractable complaint. 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

Customer Reviews

I also love women.
This is one of Truffaut's best films and it is an excellent exploration into the impulses that drive men to seek out a woman. The main character falls in love with any woman who catches his eye and in one case is so attracted to a pair of legs that he seeks out the woman with a very devious - but innocent - system that will ring true to many a romantic Casanova. the man is so obsessed by women - never in a bad way - that he decides to explore his feelings through a book. as he looks for the publisher he ends up finding t=yet another interest. the film, however, in no way presents women in a degrading way and is very thoughtful in its respect of women in fact. The main character could be compared to Casanova as he too loved and respected women. the film has a comedic tone and almost comes across as a personal documentary as the scientist narrates his feelings and motivations. The subject matter and its portrayal are still relevant today. excellent.

The womanizer
Charles Denner plays a seemingly mild mannered engineer who has a fatal attraction to beautiful women. The story begins by showing the length he will go to track down an elusive beauty, then spins a wonderful array of thoughts and observations on the nature of relationships as Bertrand tries to come to terms with his obsession. This leads him to pen a book that more or less forms the backbone of the movie as he drifts back in time to chart some of his early relationships, including the Oedipal one with his mother. However, the movie maintains a firm focus in the present, ultimately leading to an engaging relationship with his editor. Along the way there is the playful banter between Bertrand and the operator who provides wake up calls each morning; an older woman who runs a lingerie shop at which Bertrand gazes at the new window displays; and a couple of relationships from the past which come back to haunt him. Unlike the 1983 remake featuring Burt Reynolds, this movie doesn't devolve into middle age angst. Bertrand is modest and relatively honest with himself, which is what ultimately wins over his editor. The only problem is that Bertrand still has one woman that has managed to elude him leading to a fateful closing scene where he rushs headlong into traffic after the perfect pair of legs.

Too true . . . !
All I can say is ... great! But do NOT see this film with a date ... or even your wife! Most women I've known don't get the poignance of the hero's obsession ... not at all!