Wow! Such a good movie.

To me, this movie is perfection.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

The movie runs out of plot and jokes well before the end of a two-hour running time, long for a light comedy.

Remade by Atom Egoyan as "Chloe" with Julianne Moore and Liam Neeson in the Fanny Ardant and Gerard Depardieu roles and minxy little Amanda Seyfried in the Emmanuelle Beart part, "Nathalie" is a very French tale of amour fou. It's a thriller of sorts, though the thrills tend to be of the erotic and psychological kind rather than the more hands-on approach we might expect from something...well, less French while the material feels overly familiar even if you haven't seen the remake. Fundamentally it's a woman's picture; the director is Anne Fontaine but she doesn't make the material exciting. Ardant is so glacial it's no wonder Depardieu strays and Depardieu is such an unsmilingly drab slab of meat it's surprising he gets as much sex as he claims to. Only Beart livens up proceedings as the pert little hooker Ardant hires to seduce hubbie Depardieu in revenge for a casual fling.

I found it very hard to be that involved with this story--and not just because I think the characters (particularly Fanny Ardant) are so tough to believe. No, this tale of infidelity and voyeurism suffered from a major problem--it was dull! Yes, a film that TALKS and TALKS about sex (and we're not talking about the "missionary position" here folks, but just about every other style of sex you could think of) and shows a bit of skin here and there but it just isn't very interesting--and much of it is due to the way the characters sleep-walked through their parts. There was absolutely no emotion, no "humanity" about the characters. All three were so non-emotive that it made the whole film seem very artificial. Plus, the sex and the characters were just not at all engaging.It's sad, really, as there are some good elements to the film--such as the real relationship between Emmanuelle Béart and Gérard Depardieu (the film is deliberately vague here--not a bad thing, really). The film also attempted to try to say something about infidelity--but then seemed to lose its way. But what left me confused was the strong undercurrent of lesbianism in the film. The lesbianism was only hinted at, but if I think if the film had gone more in that direction, then it would have at least infused a little more life into the production and explained why Ardant behaved in such an illogical and scatter-brained manner. It also would have explained her failed marriage, her frigidity and her obsession with Béart. As it was, I could easily see how a viewer could be left confused and unsatisfied by this film.There have got to be better films about infidelity or marital discord than this. Oh, and of course, due to the very graphic nature of this film, it is strongly recommended that you DON'T show this film to your kids (duh).

"Nathalie" proves that the French filmmakers are masters when it comes to examining sentimental human relationships. Now I know how hard marriages are to manage, how complicated it is. I've always admired the "honesty" of the system of IMDb, but the ratings they've given this film does it no justice at all. Can hardly believe that so few people have appreciated it.Emanuelle Béart is so beautiful, sexy, erotic, malicious; she is perfect for this role - the sadness behind her quiet, observant, etching eyes. Géard Depardieu did a wonderful job portraying his charming character. He must be more than 50 years old, yet, by the end of the film, even I have fallen for his charm. Fanny Ardant fitted into her goody housewife role, most of all was her chemistry with Béart, full of warmth.The full-on English soundtracks throughout the movie suits the movie well, and I am planning on adding them to my collections. A little before Béart, Depardieu and Ardant were supposed to have the fateful meeting at the diner together, I did expect it coming, shortly before Ardant and Depardieu's exchange at breakfast, before Ardant and Béart's conversation at Nathalie's apartment. However, I was still not sure; when it was revealed, I cried. I am extremely touched by this heartwarming film.

Catherine (Fanny Ardant) yearns to discover what her long-time husband, Bernard (Gérard Depardieu), wants her to be when she learns of his philandering. Enter Marlène (Emmanuelle Béart), who makes a living fulfilling fantasies. Since their communication has become seldom and fraught with lies, Catherine turns to her, and instructs her to go by the name of Nathalie, seduce her husband, and return to her with the tales of their escapades. If that doesn't sound like a French film who knows what is! What has the makings for a voyeuristic pseudo-pornographic film instead becomes a highly erotic, but delicate, nuanced story about commitment and the realities of marriage. In a way it feels like the seventh chapter of Eric Rohmer's Morality Series ("Chloe in the Afternoon", et al), or from a more modern standpoint like "Closer" with more pleasant characters. Either way, it's a beautiful piece of cinema.