This movie is definitely worth seeing, and has nothing to do with the movies like "Single White Female", or even "Lost and Delirious", etc. It is not a French version of some obsession thriller, and has nothing to do with "Fatal Attraction", or other ideologically really sexist movies. I guess many people disqualify this movie even before watching exactly because of these unjust and incorrect comparisons, which are really misleading. The film is about two really young girls, one of whom is just a bit older. They are from the beginning very attracted to each other, emotionally and sexually definitely, and they need each other just in very different ways. The love and attraction is sometimes very difficult, and very unfair, disturbing, and intertwined with a lot of morally ambiguous issues, and complications. But it is definitely not just an obsession from one side, it is obsession and sexual fascination from both sides, just it is the pianist who is trying to turn her own obsession for the other girl into being a good pianist, and keeps avoiding physical contact, suffering and enjoying it at the same time. But there is no doubt that the touch of the other girl makes her lose all her control and brings her sexual electro-shocks. That is why the pianist does not mind sleeping with men, because with them she is not losing control, which is not the case with her sexual contact with the girl. It is even actually surprising how quickly the pianist makes clear that she is not crazy about men, at all. For her they are just OK, she can handle them, because she does not fall in love with them.
It is also true that the movie is not entirely successful in all its aspects, i.e. it is not really totally understandable for wide audience. It does require a musically educated, at least a little bit, viewer. Also, it does require a viewer who understands to which extent ambitious young people have to be dedicated to the art, if they want to be better than the others. The Marie, the piano student, simply has to make priorities between her uncontrollable and unpredictable encounter with that weird girl,Ema, and, on the other side, her dedication to piano studies. She can give all her sexual energy only to one of them, not both. The paradox is that Ema is the only one from her surrounding who is very intelligent and really understands Marie's talent and work with piano, and who would do anything to help her. But the accent of the movie is on the playing classical music, and how the sexual ecstasy with another person needs to be subordinated to this music.
It is simply a movie about how complicated and unrewarding love sometimes can be, confronted with other demands in life. It is definitely not a movie for someone who expects some classical lesbian love plot. But it is a movie about very passionate feelings, and in spite of subordination of love to the music, the film is highly erotic and exciting in all its dimensions.
It is also true that the movie is not entirely successful in all its aspects, i.e. it is not really totally understandable for wide audience. It does require a musically educated, at least a little bit, viewer. Also, it does require a viewer who understands to which extent ambitious young people have to be dedicated to the art, if they want to be better than the others. The Marie, the piano student, simply has to make priorities between her uncontrollable and unpredictable encounter with that weird girl,Ema, and, on the other side, her dedication to piano studies. She can give all her sexual energy only to one of them, not both. The paradox is that Ema is the only one from her surrounding who is very intelligent and really understands Marie's talent and work with piano, and who would do anything to help her. But the accent of the movie is on the playing classical music, and how the sexual ecstasy with another person needs to be subordinated to this music.
It is simply a movie about how complicated and unrewarding love sometimes can be, confronted with other demands in life. It is definitely not a movie for someone who expects some classical lesbian love plot. But it is a movie about very passionate feelings, and in spite of subordination of love to the music, the film is highly erotic and exciting in all its dimensions.