Many comparisons have been made between this movie and Lianna(1983), a movie by John Sayles. The plot line is similar- in both movies a married woman leaves her home for pursuing a relationship with a woman. But the broad difference is that in Lianna, there was no conflict placed between her role as a mother and her own sexual identity, but it is this conflict which is addressed in the present film. The woman Eve faces a custody battle when it is revealed that she has an affair with a woman and is about to leave her husband. She emphatically states that her sexual identity has not hampered her maternal competency, and it is perhaps her argument that as a mother, she continues to be primarily responsible for her kids irrespective of whether she is heterosexual or lesbian, that she attains temporary custody. However, all her efforts to convince the court for permanent entitlement to her children ultimately fails, when the husband announces a second marriage. Undoubtedly, it appears to the court that the children would have a 'healthy' and a 'normal' upbringing in a heterosexual environment. Overall, 'A Woman Like Eve' was a progressive movie for its time, and even today continues to hold relevance as a commentary on a homophobic society and the difficult choices for women who choose to love differently, especially on lesbian mothers.
4 Reviews
Pleasant surprise
hupshtar-674-8099933 June 2023
Considering the age of this film, I was surprised to discover the topic and story dealing with relevant issues and giving an interesting reflection of society and its attitudes towards women's rights, feminism and gay issues.
Acting is generally fine but for Ms. Schneider (Lilian the lover) who is overly reserved as if she's embarrassed to act in the movie.
The story is very interesting and believable: a regular housewife going on vacation with her female friend, a gift from her husband. On vacation she meets a woman and falls in love. That's when the drama begins.
One of the first times that such issues were dealt with in a positive manner.
Acting is generally fine but for Ms. Schneider (Lilian the lover) who is overly reserved as if she's embarrassed to act in the movie.
The story is very interesting and believable: a regular housewife going on vacation with her female friend, a gift from her husband. On vacation she meets a woman and falls in love. That's when the drama begins.
One of the first times that such issues were dealt with in a positive manner.
extremely bad directed and acted movie by so called feminist director
lylogronio-896-47846423 December 2017
The story is weak.
The Dutch synchronisation is one of the worst in Dutch moviemaking.
Maria Schneider obviously had also no faith in this project, considering her very poor performance.
Even Monique vd Ven, a well known and appreciated actress had no good , believable lines, and was not fit to this already poorly written scenario.
Pity for Maria Schneider: If this feminist director would have watched the movie : Profession, Reporter from Antonioni, she would have learned that a male director good do much more with a feminist theme.
Waste of time to watch this movie !
A very strong women's movie - defending strong feminist principles of the 70'ties - used as decor for the portrait of a touching lesbian love story (based on actual events)!
deboraey24 February 2005
Warning: Spoilers
The 70's was a very special period in time (in Europe as well as in the US): the "flower-power" generation when young people contested everything and were confident they would realize a better world (from peace-in-the-world and flowers-instead-of-money-or-guns to improving working conditions and social structures up to individual lifestyles, feminism, gay and lesbian awareness and overall people's mentality).
Clearly film-making was also a popular way of expressing these views and some great movies like EASY RIDER, ZABRISKI POINT, KRAMER VS KRAMER, A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, BLOW UP, etc were made in those days reflecting the overall "spirit" of that era.
This dutch movie is also a very good example of a 70's movie - on a smaller scale of course- and it is definitely a woman's movie reflecting strong feminists points of view.
*********SPOILER ALERT**************
Eve lives with her husband Ad and two children somewhere in Amsterdam. Eve seems reasonably happy although she sometimes has the feeling that there's something missing in her life. Her husband, thinking Eve is depressed, sends her on a holiday to France with her girlfriend Sonja. In the south of France, on the beach, Eve meets Liliane, a young feminist and commune-dweller. Eve feels strangely drawn to Liliane. Eve and Sonja pay a visit to the rural commune in with Liliane lives and works; Sonja doesn't think much of it but Eve keeps returning and seeing Liliane. When returned home, Eve tries to stay in touch with Liliane by mail and she even takes up French courses. At a later point in time, Liliane comes to Amsterdam for a big feminist convention and the two women meet again and spend time together. It is only then that Eve realizes that she is in love with Liliane. It is not without difficulties that Eve comes to terms with her feelings for Liliane. She decides to go for it and the two women get sexually involved. Ad finds out and he is furious and makes a scene in public . . .
This is a film by the dutch female film director Nouchka Van Brakel, who wrote the script together with Judith Herzberg. The story was based on actual events in those days: a woman lost the custody of her children to her ex-husband, merely because she left him to go live with another woman.
The lesbian relationship is told in a very positive and understanding way. Van Brakel tells a good story and gives a fairly accurate portrait of dutch society in the 70's. But, being a radical feminist herself, she maybe wants to put too much in 90 minutes and as a result the film sometimes gets a little messy. On the whole the movie is still very worth watching as an image of an area - the flowerpot years - and also for the (true) and tender lesbian love story.
But it is definitely a women's movie! Especially lesbians will love this true 70's story!
The actress portraying Eve (dutch Monique van de Ven) gives an excellent performance; she even came to the US in the 80's with her husband at that time Jan De Bondt (also of dutch origin); but Monique, unlike Jan, didn't like living in the US! The couple divorced and Monique returned to The Netherlands where up 'till now she is still very active in films and on TV. De Bondt stayed in the US and became famous (SPEED, TWISTER).
Clearly film-making was also a popular way of expressing these views and some great movies like EASY RIDER, ZABRISKI POINT, KRAMER VS KRAMER, A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, BLOW UP, etc were made in those days reflecting the overall "spirit" of that era.
This dutch movie is also a very good example of a 70's movie - on a smaller scale of course- and it is definitely a woman's movie reflecting strong feminists points of view.
*********SPOILER ALERT**************
Eve lives with her husband Ad and two children somewhere in Amsterdam. Eve seems reasonably happy although she sometimes has the feeling that there's something missing in her life. Her husband, thinking Eve is depressed, sends her on a holiday to France with her girlfriend Sonja. In the south of France, on the beach, Eve meets Liliane, a young feminist and commune-dweller. Eve feels strangely drawn to Liliane. Eve and Sonja pay a visit to the rural commune in with Liliane lives and works; Sonja doesn't think much of it but Eve keeps returning and seeing Liliane. When returned home, Eve tries to stay in touch with Liliane by mail and she even takes up French courses. At a later point in time, Liliane comes to Amsterdam for a big feminist convention and the two women meet again and spend time together. It is only then that Eve realizes that she is in love with Liliane. It is not without difficulties that Eve comes to terms with her feelings for Liliane. She decides to go for it and the two women get sexually involved. Ad finds out and he is furious and makes a scene in public . . .
This is a film by the dutch female film director Nouchka Van Brakel, who wrote the script together with Judith Herzberg. The story was based on actual events in those days: a woman lost the custody of her children to her ex-husband, merely because she left him to go live with another woman.
The lesbian relationship is told in a very positive and understanding way. Van Brakel tells a good story and gives a fairly accurate portrait of dutch society in the 70's. But, being a radical feminist herself, she maybe wants to put too much in 90 minutes and as a result the film sometimes gets a little messy. On the whole the movie is still very worth watching as an image of an area - the flowerpot years - and also for the (true) and tender lesbian love story.
But it is definitely a women's movie! Especially lesbians will love this true 70's story!
The actress portraying Eve (dutch Monique van de Ven) gives an excellent performance; she even came to the US in the 80's with her husband at that time Jan De Bondt (also of dutch origin); but Monique, unlike Jan, didn't like living in the US! The couple divorced and Monique returned to The Netherlands where up 'till now she is still very active in films and on TV. De Bondt stayed in the US and became famous (SPEED, TWISTER).
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