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Max, Mon Amour (1986)

A review by Damian Cannon.
Copyright © Movie Reviews UK 1997
When a diplomat's wife takes a chimpanzee as a lover the diplomat (Anthony Higgins) has, understandably, difficulties with the situation. It's true that he has taken various lovers but at least they're of the same species! However, according to his wife (Charlotte Rampling), their relationship is based on love at first sight - their eyes met at the zoo. In the makings of a fine black comedy he suggests that Max comes to live with them, as a family. Since Max seems well trained he's soon joining them for breakfast and everyone is happy -- apart from the maid who has some strange rash!

However, the unusual domestic arrangement starts to take its toll on the husband. He can't believe that his wife is actually sleeping with a chimp without seeing the truth for himself. Their friends can't quite believe it either when Max becomes rather amorous during a dinner party and she makes no real effort to dissuade him. His wife has no desire to sate his curiosity with some bizarre sex-show though and the diplomat becomes increasingly monomaniacal -- to the extent of hiring a prostitute for Max! Finally he cracks and attempts to shoot Max, while his wife and son do their best to prevent him.

In due course there is a reconciliation and the story reaches a happy ending -- even the maid returns. The best aspects of this story, though, are the reactions as people realise that she actually has a chimpanzee as a lover, not just as a pet. Since she regards the affair as a normal part of life her husband arrives at a similar opinion -- after some ups and downs. Their friends are convinced that she is either mad, pining for someone else or a good subject for study while he is equally in need of help. The comedy aspects mostly milk the ape-out-of-water scenario although the simple effect of seeing semi-nude Rampling cuddling a chimp are amusing by their very strangeness.

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