, an NC-17-rated graphic novel adaptation from director Abdellatif Kechiche, is drawing criticism from an unlikely source: the film’s stars.The subject of their ire is the elaborate and graphic lesbian sex scene that made the movie a polarizing one at the Cannes Film Festival, where it nevertheless won the prestigious Palme D’Or this year. The pair discussed the director’s methods at length in a new interview with The Daily Beast.”[Kechiche] warned us that we had to trust him—blind trust—and give a lot of ourselves,” said one of the film’s stars, Adèle Exarchopoulos. “He was making a movie about passion, so he wanted to have sex scenes, but without choreography—more like special sex scenes. He told us he didn’t want to hide the character’s sexuality because it’s an important part of every relationship. So he asked me if I was ready to make it, and I said, ‘Yeah, of course!’ because I’m young and pretty new to cinema. But once we were on the shoot, I realized that he really wanted us to give him everything. Most people don’t even dare to ask the things that he did, and they’re more respectful—you get reassured during sex scenes, and they’re choreographed, which desexualizes the act.”
