I was told that it's essentially a remake of Belle de Jour, but I haven't seen that, so I'll have to judge Romance on its own merits. Romance is the kind of the film that purports to be so shocking, so drastic, that it can't help but fail to be as shocking as one might expect. It certainly did make a commotion, though: I've never seen such a crowd in the small art-house theater that screens such films in my hometown.
For those who haven't heard, Romance is a French film that was banned in France; all-too-shocking for the vulgar French, it is perfectly fine to show here in the good ol' U.S. The film tells the story of a young (twenty-something) school teacher whose boyfriend is disgusted by his own sexuality, not to mention his girlfriend's. Thus, she seeks the company of other men, some of whom treat her well while others treat her terribly.
I was disappointed by the film for many reasons. First, the characters were hardly sympathetic. While the techniques used do encourage viewers to identify with the protagonist, her actions hardly belie those of a sensible person. Her boyfriend is a poorly constructed, one-sided caricature of a selfish man. I'd much rather see Jude Law's Dickie (from The Talented Mr. Ripley) - a more solid depiction of a similar character. The only character I did like is one of the men the protagonist sleeps with, a mild man who seems to be both misogynist and incredibly caring - at least there was some dimension to him.
Another thing that disappointed me about the film has to do with its marketing. The preview I saw made it appear to be a film about lust - a woman who is unabashed about her sexuality and a frank depiction of it. Instead, she seems horribly dysfunctional, somewhat nymphomaniacal, and hardly "at terms" with her sexuality. Thus, while I might have been more inclined to accept the film on its own merits if I had gone in with no preconceived notion of the film's goals, I was instead upset that the film did not do what it said it would do. (I'm reminded of my disappointment with the John Travolta film, Phenomenon.)
Finally, Romance's "shocking" scenes seemed entirely misplaced and altogether rather worthless. I respect the use of shock-value in film, but I ask that the filmmaker have a purpose. Some of the scenes seemed unnecessarily graphic (I'm referring here to the prevalence of female nudity rather than the occasional nude-man-shot) and others seemed entirely unnecessary to me. In short, I felt that the film's acclaim, due mostly to its shock-value, was undeserved.
Romance is a film that tries to challenge some of our notions of appropriateness. Its school-teacher character is open with the audience, but she fails to give us much in her openness. I feel as though the subjects at hand have been done more effectively elsewhere. Perhaps Belle de Jour is a better alternative. Of course, like I said to begin with, I've only seen a cheap knockoff of it.