''L'Amour braque'' (English: ''Mad Love'') is a 1985 French

romantic drama film Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion (emotion), passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typica ...

directed by

Andrzej Żuławski Andrzej Żuławski (; 22 November 1940 – 17 February 2016) was a Polish film director and writer. Żuławski often went against mainstream commercialism in his films, and enjoyed success mostly with European art-house audiences. In the late 1 ...

and starring

Sophie Marceau Sophie Marceau (; born Sophie Danièle Sylvie Maupu, 17 November 1966) is a French actress. As a teenager, she achieved popularity with her debut films ''La Boum'' (1980) and ''La Boum 2'' (1982), receiving a César Award for Most Promising Act ...

Francis Huster Francis Huster (born 8 December 1947) is a French stage, film and television actor, director and scriptwriter. Biography Francis Huster was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine. His father is Charles Huster, commercial director at Lancia, and his Poli ...

, and

Tchéky Karyo Tchéky Karyo (; born 4 October 1953) is a French actor and musician of Turkish origin. Beginning his career as an actor on stage in classical and contemporary works, he began to work as a character actor in films in the 1980s. He has acted in nu ...

. The film is about a bank robber on his way to Paris who meets a neurotic dreamer whom he considers to be an idiot. The dreamer follows him everywhere and soon falls in love with his girlfriend, resulting in a tragic ending. The film is loosely inspired by

Fyodor Dostoevsky Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (, ; rus, Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский, Fyódor Mikháylovich Dostoyévskiy, p=ˈfʲɵdər mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪdʑ dəstɐˈjefskʲɪj, a=ru-Dostoevsky.ogg, links=yes; 11 November 18219 ...

's 1869 novel ''

The Idiot ''The Idiot'' ( pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform rus, Идиот, Idiót) is a novel by the 19th-century Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. It was first published serially in the journal ''The Russian Messenger'' in 1868–69. The title is an ...

''. The film received a Fantasporto International Fantasy Film Award Nomination for Best Film in 1986.

Plot

Following a successful bank robbery, Micky (

) tries to take back his girlfriend Mary (

) who had been taken from him by the brothers Venin. On his way to Paris, Micky meets Leon (

), a neurotic dreamer who is considered an idiot by Micky and his associates. Uncertain about Micky's actions, Leon follows him everywhere and eventually falls in love with Mary. This strange love triangle leads to a tragic ending.

Cast

as Mary *

as Léon *

as Micky * Christiane Jean as Aglaé *

Jean-Marc Bory Jean-Marc Bory (17 March 1934 – 31 March 2001) was a Swiss actor. He appeared in 60 films and television shows between 1955 and 1996. Partial filmography * '' Black Dossier'' (1955) - Juge Jacques Arnaud * ''The Lovers'' (1958) - Bernard ...

as Simon Venin *

Wladimir Yordanoff Wladimir Yordanoff ( bg, Владимир Йорданов; 28 March 1954 – 6 October 2020) was a French actor of Bulgarian Bulgarian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria * Bulgarians, a South Slavic et ...

as Matalon *

Marie-Christine Adam Marie-Christine Adam (born 24 September 1950) is a French actress. Filmography Theatre External links * References 1950 births Living people French film actresses French television actresses Place of birth missing (living people ...

as Marie's Mother * Michel Albertini as André * Saïd Amadis as Le caïd * as Le commissaire * Ged Marlon as Gilbert Venin * Serge Spira as Le baron * Julie Ravix as Gisèle * Azeddine Bouayad as Harry Cleven *

Pascal Elso Pascal Elso is a French actor. Life He is actor, comedian, director and acting teacher on several cinema school. He had been choreographer, clown, mime Filmography Theater References External links * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Elso, Pasca ...

Production

It was the first cinematic collaboration between Sophie Marceau and Andrzej Żuławski, who later made three more films together. Żuławski cast Marceau after seeing her in ''

Fort Saganne ''Fort Saganne'' is a 1984 French war film directed by Alain Corneau and starring Gérard Depardieu, Philippe Noiret, Catherine Deneuve, and Sophie Marceau. Based on the 1980 novel of the same name by Louis Gardel, the film is about a soldier of ...

''. "I was struck by Sophie’s quality of immediate truth," said Żuławski. "It could have been her youth. But when we met, it was obvious that it came from inside her." "He gets things out of his actors that they never knew were there," said Marceau of the director. "Sometimes it hurts, yet you are changed by it."

Reception

The film was a commercial flop.

References

External links

* *
Review of film
at Slant Magazine 1985 films Films based on The Idiot Films directed by Andrzej Żuławski French romantic drama films 1980s French-language films 1980s French films {{1980s-France-film-stub