How Much Do You Love Me? (2005)

How Much Do You Love Me? Poster
Original Title: Combien tu m'aimes ?

After winning the lottery, François goes to a bar in Pigalle and offers one hundred thousand Euros per month to a prostitute named Daniela to live with him as his wife until his money runs out.

Film Overview
"How Much Do You Love Me?" is a 2005 French romantic drama-comedy movie written and directed by Bertrand Blier. The movie stars legendary actors Monica Bellucci, Bernard Campan, and Gérard Depardieu. This tale of bold fantasy, love, humor, and wild desire is a homage to the director Bertrand Blier's special design of storytelling.

Plot Synopsis
The movie's story focuses on Francois, played by Bernard Campan, a lonely and depressed man who wins the lottery game. He strolls into a whorehouse, and there he fulfills Daniela (Monica Bellucci), a gorgeous Italian prostitute. Overtaken by her appeal, he provides a proposition to Daniela; he would pay her every month the amount she would make at the whorehouse if she deals with him till his money goes out.

Character Development
Daniela accepts his proposal and moves in with François. The two begin cohabitating, and as they invest more time together, they begin developing a strange, complicated bond. Daniela fills Francois' life with joy, laughter, and sensuous pleasure, and he provides her a taste of a life separated from prohibited activities.

Conflict and Twists
Their uncommon, comfy regimen is interrupted by the unexpected arrival of Daniela's volatile pimp sweetheart Charly (Gérard Depardieu). Charly is portrayed as a cop who 'd go to any lengths to get Daniela back. As the plot develops, so does the story's drama, with the real reason behind Daniela leaving Charly for the life with François unveiling, creating distinct situations that lead towards the climax of the story.

Conclusion/Resolution
"How Much Do you Love Me?" presents a distinctively woven storyline packed with elements of fantasy reflecting the ups and downs of love and relationships, highlighted with unexpected plot twists. Limits blur as the characters battle to express how much they genuinely enjoy each other, causing a masterfully crafted climax and a thought-provoking resolution of the story.

Vital Reception
The film consulted with dissentious reviews upon its initial release, with some customers praising the film's adventurous fantasical storytelling and vibrant representation of love and desire, while others criticized it for its viewed muddled narrative. However, the efficiencies of Bellucci, Campan, and Depardieu all got near-universal praise for their ability to navigate the movie's intricacies skillfully.

In Conclusion, "How Much Do You Love Me?" is a non-traditional take on love and desire. Its ability to make the audience consider about love, fantasies, and relationships embedded in a romantic drama-comedy makes it stick out worldwide of cinematic storytelling.

Top Cast

  • Monica Bellucci (small)
    Monica Bellucci
    Daniela
  • Bernard Campan (small)
    Bernard Campan
    François
  • Gérard Depardieu (small)
    Gérard Depardieu
    Charly
  • Jean-Pierre Darroussin (small)
    Jean-Pierre Darroussin
    André Migot
  • François Rollin (small)
    François Rollin
    Michael
  • Jean Barney (small)
    Jean Barney
    Client Daniela
  • Baptiste Roussillon (small)
    Baptiste Roussillon
    Quidam Pigalle
  • Valérie Karsenti (small)
    Valérie Karsenti
    Pamela
  • Jean Dell (small)
    Jean Dell
    Toubib cimetière
  • Sara Forestier (small)
    Sara Forestier
    Muguet
  • Michel Vuillermoz (small)
    Michel Vuillermoz
    Toubib escalier