All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

Despite the unquestioned talent of Raul Ruiz, this movie is an unqualified disaster. The plot drifts aimlessly, tv-series like, coupled with inadequate acting and over-elaborate voice-over in order to further the "action" in an ad-hoc manner. Practically very little of any importance actually happens, even less of what occurs on the screen is dramatically convincing in this terminally unexciting journey of a manipulative young girl and her encounters in rural France of the 19th century. Vacuity disguised as ambiguity or worse, profundity. Good cinematography though, but there are far better literary adaptions done recently such as Assayas' "Les destinees sentimentales".

Come on, i rented this movie on dvd full of excitement as I am a huge fan of independent movies and european cinema in general. I also am a fan of John Malkovich and i really like Laetitia Casta ; but i can't recall a single moment in my whole life that i felt sooooo boooored! It's terrible! The only elements i liked was the music (that's nothing special really, just very nice) and the beautiful and excellent photography!

A well acted and respectful adaptation of Giono's masterpiece. Ruiz takes the internal and complex ambiguity of a women's soul and frames and reflects her struggle in the backdrop of the refined beauty of Provence. The truth about Thérèse we may never know but the truth about Ms. Casta's talent on screen is without question.

Is this the Victoria's Secret and L'Oreal supermodel , starring in this very ambitious movie ??? It seems it is. Yet, what a rich personality this girl must have. I found her surprisingly good, deep, right for the role, at the opposite of the image I had of her. The whole movie is very faithful to the original XXth century French classic by Jean Giono. It might seem a little complicated because its characters are fully ambiguous. This is the main theme of the movie and of the novel. Thanks to the screenwriters and the director, it is great to see such movies that do not take the average cinema goer for a silly person. A movie you can interpret your own way, in which everything is not explained. Not another silly psychological drama ! A movie with depth.. I have seen it four times already and can't wait for the DVD. With Laetitia Casta actress, I would say a star is born.