did anyone like this film?

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I grew rather impatient with this film. My introduction to Breillat's work was "Anatomie de l'Enfer," which was engaging due to its analytical and argumentative approach. "Anatomie de l'Enfer" came off more as a cultural essay in film form, and the characters were not standard fictional characters, rather speaking extentions of Breillat's reasoning and logic-seeking stance of her thesis, if you will. What detracted from "Romance" was its persistent angry tone--or at least what I perceived to be an angry tone--and pedantic narrative. The main character, for example, is so frustrated with men and her own desires that she behaves like a spoiled child throughout the film. Notice how many times she pouts and sobs, whether it is with her boyfriend as she stares blankly out the window or when she is lying face down on the bed. Given that the attempt here was more plot-oriented, Breillat should have edited much of the monologues and soliloquys to intensify the impact of her message--which I have yet to ascertain as of yet. Based on the ending and the protagonist's pettish observations, Breillat argues that ultimately, women's need of men--or lack thereof--is reduced to the pleasure principle. In fact, most of the film's perspective lies in the Freudian camp of psychology. In any event, fewer or no voice-overs and monologues would have left the audience with the duty of reaching its own conclusion based on the content of the scenes. The audience should be able to infer, through the character's actions, that the protagonist doubts men's capacity of understanding women's needs, or that 'unattractive' men like the school's headmaster is most likely to have the most encounters with women and learn how to stimulate their pleasure centres. Breillat's pandering to the spectator, unfortunately, was much like forceful spoon-feeding. A less pedantic and angry point of view, I believe, would have strengthened her film.

No, I didnt like it, but mostly because I didnt care for the story.

Most of the criticism on these boards, it seems most were expecting a porno with better narrative. All the talk of "pathetic sex scenes" is weird because it seems as if the point of the movie is to portray sex in a less erotic/sensual way. So they didnt screw up trying to make erotic sex scenes, they succeeded in making passionless sex scenes.

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no, I didnt like it

I actually liked it, despite the fact that I think the director/writer is mentally defective. I'll never understand how she can be viewed as a feminist when she spouts lines like:

"They say that a man who screws a woman, honors her. The expression is worth noting: It's true. Paul dishonors me."

And..

"...I need to cling to him like a leech. Because I'm madly in love with him."

I enjoyed it, in some warped, twisted way, just to see the almost complete mental illness of Marie, which I believe directly reflects Breillat's state of mind. Maybe the overlay of the dom/sub relationship with Robert acted as a sort of catharsis since I felt she deserved to be abused and dominated the way he abused and dominated her, given the way she conducted herself. I certainly liked this film better than Fat Girl, Sex Is Comedy, Bluebeard, and Anatomy Of Hell.

"Love isn't what you say or how you feel, it's what you DO". (The Last Kiss)