Max Mon Amour on DVD (1986)

Average rating: 39%

from 108 members

3 Critics reviews
5 Members reviews

Starring:	Charlotte Rampling, Anthony Higgins, Victoria Abril, Anne-Marie Besse
Director:	Nagisa Oshima
Studio:	CINEMA CLUB
Run time:	94 mins
Certificate:
Genres:	Comedy
Languages:	English
Released:	06/09/2004

Brief synopsis of Max Mon Amour

A suspicious husband discovers that the object of his wife's infidelity is none other than a chimpanzee named Max. Not wanting to appear old-fashioned, he invites the simian lover to move in. In his obssession to discover the reason for his wife's attraction to a beast, the husband loses sight of the fact that his own indiscretions and weaknesses are leading him to handle the situation in a most "uncivilised" fashion. Through a series of hilarious episodes about this family and their houseguest, this film provides a satiric window on bourgeois morality.

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Critics Reviews

Radio Times

A clever idea from director Nagisa Oshima who obviously tries to follow in Luis Buñuel's surreal footsteps by taking apart the hypocrisies of the French bourgeoisie. Charlotte Rampling is the diplomat's deeply bored wife in Paris who takes a chimpanzee as a lover, and Anthony Higgins is her non-plussed husband who is determined to take it on the stiff upper lip and chin. The satire fails to bite, however, owing to a pair of stultifying performances from the main stars (though Max the chimp is actually rather good) and a lot of mad signposting to the jokes from Oshima. Worth watching to see the progression of Oshima's work.

Time Out

Finding that his wife Margaret (Rampling) has been lying about her afternoon activities, Peter (Higgins) - a Brit... Read more on www.timeout.com

Halliwell's Film Guide

Odd tale that strives for, but fails to achieve, an air of unease.

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Members Reviews

Reviews Voted Most Helpful

much better than you'd expect

A customer from London , 18/05/2005

Just how good can a film be when it depicts a love relationship between a woman and a chimpanzee? You naturally expect it to be trash. But, surprisingly, this was pretty good. That's mainly due to the fact the story is told in a mostly comedic manner, and there isn't any graphic sex in it. It's still a movie you won't want your grandma to watch with you, but it's fun and even sometimes manages to be thought-provoking... and no I don't mean thought-provoking as in 'maybe it's ok to fall in love with an animal', but it does make you think about the amount of love you can give to things that are unable to love you back.

The story crosses all kinds of lines of what love is and how it can be felt by anybody or anything. All and all a good film to see. Note that for 1986 Rick Bakers effects are the most life-like I have seen of a Ape. Sometimes you even think it is a the real thing

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful

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Enjoyable, and... très bizarre!

TristanWhite [Highly rated reviewer] , 08/10/2005

Well that was a strange one. And enjoyable too. A love affair between a chimpanzee and Charlotte Gainsbourg, this Cannes-nominated movie really gets you thinking. And thinking. What if..... It's not a bad film, the acting is okay (a little bit hammed up at times). It's not a comedy (although there is one funny moment involving a dog - no, it's not what you think) but I cannot understand why it has an 18 certificate - there's no actual sex in it, it's just suggested. It's a highly entertaining film, with a couple of odd messages... some of them mixed (for example, we are clearly meant to assume that there really is nothing wrong with bestiality as long as it's consensual... which I can accept as a valid controversial message... but it doesn't fit in with an animal-rights anti-hunting message towards the film's dénouement... that's just plain odd).

I don't know. It was a very odd one but I'll probably watch it again one day.

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