How Much Do You Love Me? on AllMovie

A nebbishy man wants to know if he can win the heart of a beautiful woman or merely rent it in this sex comedy from acclaimed French writer and director Bertrand Blier. Francois (Bernard Campan) is a less-than-attractive office drone who lives alone in a small, run-down apartment and doesn't have much luck with the ladies. But Francois is suddenly in the money after winning the French lottery, and while deciding what to do with his prize money, he passes by the Place Pigalle, Paris' notorious red light district, and sees Daniela (Monica Bellucci), a beautiful prostitute, advertising her favors in the window of a brothel. Francois offers Daniela a deal -- while she ordinarily earns 150 Euros for an evening, he's willing to give her 100,000 Euros a month to be his live-in companion until his winnings are gone, with Daniela providing cooking, cleaning, and other wifely duties. Daniela accepts, and at first Francois is delighted with her skills in Italian cuisine and her talents in the bedroom. However, Francois becomes concerned that Daniela is only interested in him because he's paying her, and he struggles to find a way to make her love him rather than seeing him as a client. Adding to the tension is Francois' weak heart, which has been getting a workout since Daniela moved in, and the arrival of Charly (Gérard Depardieu), Daniela's pimp who isn't so happy about her new business arrangement. Bertrand Blier told journalists that he wrote Combien Tu M'aimes (aka How Much Do You Love Me?) specifically with the voluptuous Monica Bellucci in mind.