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That Most Important Thing: Love

Play trailer Poster for That Most Important Thing: Love R 1975 1h 50m Drama Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
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93% Tomatometer 14 Reviews 89% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Aging ex-starlet Nadine Chevalier (Romy Schneider) is on the downside of her career, now relegated to acting in B-movie smut that her smarmy, self-hating husband, Jacques (Jacques Dutronc), lines up for her. When she meets ponderous photographer Servais Mont (Fabio Testi) on the set of one of her movies, he feels compelled to save her. He finances a vanity production of "Richard III," hoping to re-launch her career. But can their love rise above the debauched world they inhabit?
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That Most Important Thing: Love

Critics Reviews

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Ben Sachs Chicago Reader Shining through L'Important C'Est D'Aimer is a genuine sense that love enables us to transcend the most degrading experiences. Rated: 4/4 Sep 21, 2017 Full Review Frank Scheck The Hollywood Reporter The film, although fascinating, is also slightly boring. Jul 20, 2017 Full Review Melissa Anderson Village Voice At once electrifying and eviscerating. Jul 17, 2017 Full Review Diane Carson KDHX (St. Louis) When a distributor asked what the film was really about, Źuławski responded, “The Important Thing Is to Love.” That theme dominates a romantic triangle, but in a thoroughly unconventional way, characteristic of the entire film. May 6, 2024 Full Review Sean Axmaker Stream on Demand ...the first French feature by Polish expatriate Andrzej Zulawski, is a romantic drama of frustrated desires, frail relationships and explosive passions directed with understated intimacy. Oct 9, 2022 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy The winner of the very first Best Actress Cesar Award, besting fellow French icons Catherine Deneuve, Isabelle Adjani and Delphine Seyrig, was Romy Schneider, who won her prize for her performance in this edgy endeavor. Rated: 3/4 Jul 5, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member Vehicle for late-period Romy Schneider to show off intense and over the top emotions; this late-period French New Wave film has great style at the expense of plausibility Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Audience Member This film's title is actually translated as "The Most Important Thing: Love" has earned a valid place in French Film History for Romy Schneider's performance. The infamous and beautiful actress is so good here that it is sometimes feels like she is allowing more of a glimpse into her than her character. Add this to Klaus Kinski's odd but charismatic presence along with a youthful Jacques Dutronc and Andrzej ?u?awski presents a surprisingly examination of both an artist struggling to find her place in mid-1970's theatre scene to escape her abysmal cinematic opportunities and an obsessively compulsive tragic love triangle. It is all very dated, but still bears validity as film art. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Audience Member Certainly not for every taste. Many will be put-off by the hysterical theatrics. However, it one enjoys unbridled passionate filmmaking -- this film is an Art House treat. Romy Schneider is unforgettable. Her mere charisma is a major factor in this film's success. Jacques Dutronc gives a surprisingly uncharacteristic turn as the impotent husband. Klaus Kinski is allowed out of his cage and is fascinating to watch. An odd and captivating met-film. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review Audience Member A lovely romance. Zulaswski's brilliance here is to take what is essentially a soap opera (and a pretty rich one at that) and transform it into something profoundly beautiful. The efforts of a great underdog cast, the manic cinematography of Ricardo Aronovich, and the heart-rending score of Georges Delerue all go a long way toward helping. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Audience Member Wow what a great film. You don't see very many that hold this kind of depth or emotion. I think the title speaks for itself, "The Most Important Thing is to Love." Kudos to the French! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/16/23 Full Review Audience Member This film is amazing; the acting is phenomenal! Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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That Most Important Thing: Love

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Movie Info

Synopsis Aging ex-starlet Nadine Chevalier (Romy Schneider) is on the downside of her career, now relegated to acting in B-movie smut that her smarmy, self-hating husband, Jacques (Jacques Dutronc), lines up for her. When she meets ponderous photographer Servais Mont (Fabio Testi) on the set of one of her movies, he feels compelled to save her. He finances a vanity production of "Richard III," hoping to re-launch her career. But can their love rise above the debauched world they inhabit?
Director
Andrzej Żuławski
Screenwriter
Christopher Frank, Andrzej Żuławski
Rating
R
Genre
Drama, Romance
Original Language
Canadian French
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 14, 2020
Box Office (Gross USA)
$18.6K
Runtime
1h 50m
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