[[ THE MOVIE THAT SCANDALIZED EUROPE ]]

Diario de Una Ninfómana / Diary of a Nymphomaniac

The Diary of a Nymphomaniac is a movie that tells of the wanton escapades of a French woman living in Barcelona, her unbridled and overpowering lust, her love affairs, the men in her life, her struggle to understand herself, her new "profession" as a prostitute, and her fall and redemption. Starring Belen Fabra, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Geraldine Chaplin, Angela Molina and directed by Christian Molina, this artsy movie won't leave you unaffected.

Kids, listen. I watched it. I did! I think that the movie is cool. Take the carnal activities out of the picture and just contemplate on the little commentaries about society that the movie throws to its audience, it will make sense.

There are many unforgettable lines in the movie. One is when when Val, the lead actress, confided to her grandmother about her being a nymphomaniac and how she is terriefied by it, being so different from other women, her grandmother just said,

"Men invented nymphomania to scare women who break the rules." (Not an exact translation since it is in French and Spanish.)

Unlike most movies that tells us that sex without love is empty, this one does the exact opposite. It says that pretty much every bit of misery that comes the way of Valére comes from trying to make it into something more than something she enjoys on its own.

Another unforgettable line: "Marriage is no different from prostitution." Either way, you are bound to someone, owned in fact.

Although I do not agree to most of the ideas presented in the movie, I loved that it challenged my opinion on certain things, made me see them from the opposite direction. The beauty in that is either our values become strengthened or our horizon is widened. The movie is beautifully shot, with gorgeous actors, and the narration which is mostly in Spanish is like music to the ears.

The core of the movie, I believe is freedom and responsibility. To what extent are we free? To what extent should we let the society control us? Who is responsible for your happiness? Your family? Your boo?

Or just yourself?