Baise-moi (2000)

Directors:

Virginie Despentes
Coralie (co-director)

Writers:

Coralie (writer)
Virginie Despentes (novel)

Release Date:

28 June 2000 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Plot:

Two young women, marginalised by society, go on a destructive tour of sex and violence. Breaking norms and killing men - and shattering the complacency of polite cinema audiences.

Plot Keywords:

Doggystyle Sex | Violent Movie | Profanity In Title | Bloody Violence | Close Up

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Karen Lancaume	...	Nadine (as Karen Bach)
Raffaëla Anderson	...	Manu
Céline Beugnot	...	Blonde at Billiards
Adama Niane	...	Boy at Billiards
Christophe Claudy Landry	...	Guy at Counter
Tewfik Saad	...	Server
Delphine McCarty	...	Severine
Ouassini Embarek	...	Radouan
Patrick Kodjo Topou	...	Big Thug (as Patrick-Kodjo Topou)
Lisa Marshall	...	Karla
Hacène Beddrouh	...	Lakim
Patrick Eudeline	...	Francis
Ian Scott	...	Rapist #1
Philippe Houillez	...	Rapist #2
Steven Jhonsson	...	Rapist #3

Also Known As:

Rape Me (International: English title) (USA)
Baise-moi (Australia)
Fuck Me (International: English title) (literal title)

Runtime:

77 min | Colombia:72 min | Japan:74 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Portugal:M/18 | Singapore:(Banned) | France:-18 (re-rating on appeal) | Iceland:16 (strong rating) | Canada:R (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario/Saskatchewan) | Canada:18 (New Brunswick/Nova Scotia/Prince Edward Island) | Australia:Refused Classification (re-rating) (2002) | Australia:R (original rating) | Belgium:KNT | Canada:18+ (Québec) | Canada:R | Chile:18 | Finland:K-18 | France:-16 (original rating) | Germany:18 | Hong Kong:III (heavily cut) | Ireland:(Banned) | Italy:VM18 | Japan:R-15 | Luxembourg:17 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:(Banned) (video rating) | New Zealand:R18 (re-release) | Norway:18 | Peru:18 | South Africa:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (cut) | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Biarritz, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France

Company:

Canal+

Trivia:

This film is banned in Australia. It was initially released to a select audience but the Commonwealth government, by use of police force, closed down the screenings.

Movie Connections:

Features Prison (1997) (V)

Soundtrack:

Goddamn City

A new benchmark... in bad movies.

I've just had the misfortune of sitting through this film. That it's title translates into 'F*** Me' in English was hardly promising - but I tried to keep an open mind throughout.

Within minutes - I was left baffled by a plot that barely makes sense, acting that makes daytime tv soap operas look like Oscar material, and some of the worst directing I've ever seen.

The violence within the film is highly graphic, but nothing particularly terrible. There's much worse in several critically acclaimed films that I really enjoyed - so that in itself isn't a problem for me. What is a problem is that the film's protagonists have no reason for doing what they do - other than their graphic rape at the beginning. If this film can be compared to 'Thelma & Louise' in any way, its that Themla and Louise were both likeable people who ended up in a bad situation they couldn't escape from. The leads in this film are not exactly likeable at the start of the picture, let alone when they go on a killing spree murdering anyone and everyone that gets in their way.

The rape sequence is very graphic - and certainly more realistic than your average Hollywood attempts. But there is no real explanation as to why it causes the characters to lose control - it just does. Obviously, rape is a tramuatic experience - but this film seems to just trivilise their order in an attempt to score cheap 'shock points'.

The explicit nature continues with sex scene after sex scene. Blow jobs, sex from both front and behind, standing up, lying down, on all fours - whatever your dirty favourite - chances are its in here... and seemingly for little reason other than titilation.

Chances of the film being saved by feminist undertones are not taken. Thelma and Louise took revenge on the kind of men who raped them, this women just kill whoever they feel like. Not even 'Ms 45' killed everyone she could - only men who she had an understandable fear of following her ordeal.

Certainly not a film for the faint of heart, I thought I could stomach almost anything - but watching them murder yet another person unjustly whilst having sex with yet another person who they later murder - it all became a bit too much. I didn't so much find it shocking, as entirely boring after a while. That the potentially enjoyable scenes were scuppered by violence seconds before they could've gotten interesting didn't help either!

To conclude - I learned nothing from this film. It's appalling direction and somewhat hammy subtitles (in English, possibly identical to the French - but I couldn't tell you for certain), as well as some dreadful acting from its leads... and worst of all - a jumpy nature that effectively ruined every murder - simply left me unable to find any merits within this picture. I may have seen a worse film... but I'd be hard pressed to name one!

Avoid like the plague!