Film in Pictures: Lou Ye’s Love and Bruises

I’m already salivating at the prospects for the upcoming Cannes edition (here are some predictions) and this includes one title in particular from a 6th Generation auteur that I’m not necessarily a fan of but it helps that one part of the two actor combo toplining the film is Tahar Rahim – who’ll be making his big return to the place where he was christened as the next best thing from Jacques Audiard’s A Prophet. Lou Ye’s Love and Bruises also has the sort of premise that might stick out from the bigger titles and I’d bet that this one will be cheered, jeered and challenge the film critic elite. Here are some latest shots (added to these) from the film that perhaps don’t necessarily reflect the deep, emotionally terrifying terrain that this drama might sink viewers into.

A young teacher from Beijing, is a recent arrival in Paris. Exiled in an unknown city, she wanders between her tiny apartment and the university, drifting between former lovers and recent French acquaintances. She meets Matthieu, a young worker who falls madly in love with her. Possessed by an insatiable desire for her body, he treats Hua like a dog. An intense affair begins, marked by Matthieu’s passionate embraces and harsh verbal abuse. When Hua determines to leave her lover, she discovers the strength of her addiction, and the vital role he has come to play in her life as a woman.