Flower

In Paris, the Chinese university student Hua (Corinne Yam) is dumped by her lover. Hua wanders on the streets and the French worker Mathieu (Tahar Rahim) accidentally hits her face with the pipes that he is carrying on his shoulder. Mathieu apologizes to Hua and invites her to have dinner with him. When they leave the restaurant, Mathieu rapes her and then he accompanies Hua home.

Hua is a promiscuous and submissive woman and she has one night stand with Mathieu. The unlike couple falls begin a relationship based on a strong sexual desire. The insecure Mathieu decides to test Hua's fidelity and his friend Giovanni (Jalil Lespert) also rapes her. Their troubled relationship ends when Hua finds secrets about Mathieu's life and decides to return to China.

"Love and Bruises" is the first movie of Ye Lou that I watch and I found it only reasonable and pointless. The title is incorrect since the plot shows sexual desire but never love. The plot shows differences of culture between a Chinese woman and a French man; difference of intellect between a university student and a worker; difference of behavior between a submissive woman and a brutal man. Hua is masochist and Mathieu is sadistic and their relationship lasts for a period basically supported by their sexual preferences. Corinne Yam stays a great part of the running time naked or having sex. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil) : "Amor e Dor" ("Love and Pain")