EARLIER this year, this reporter had a rendezvous - nay, a ménage a trios - with two extremely beautiful women.

Well, actually it was yours truly and six other (inconsequential) hot-blooded, scruffy-looking male journalists who were all waiting for our 20-minutes with Sophie Marceau and Monica Bellucci. That's 20 minutes each, thank you. To be this close.

Don't Look Back is title of the film they were promoting in Cannes last May. And we certainly weren't.

All eyes were glued straight ahead to Marceau (alluringly elegant with her sportyish cropped hair) and Bellucci (looking modest with a black cardigan over her black and white floral print dress - if it wasn't for her vampy hair that screamed whatever it is in Italian that means "Whoah, Nelly!").

The two beauts play two sides of the lead character in French director Marina de Van's film: A writer/mother who undergoes a kind of identity crisis. It's a yin and yang scenario that fits their onscreen characters to a tee - the svelte Frenchwoman and lust-worthy Italian babe.

But as we found out, they've also got a lot of similarities. Both are their respective countries' most recognisable cinematic icon today (Sorry, Sophia Lauren; Sorry, Audrey Tatou). Both started as teenage models. And - a fact that was hammered into us throughout both interviews - both are mothers.

Yup, you're in the presence of a former Bond Girl and an actress whose main movie roles have involved looking like a dominatrix in spandex (The Matrix Reloaded and Revolution), a temptress (The Passion Of The Christ), a sexy village girl (Malena) and, well, that woman in Irreversible - and all they wanted to talk about were their kids.

At this point, I have to bring up the fact that aside from seven of us men, there was one spoil sport of a female journo - who mostly ignored everyone else and proceeded to exchange tips on motherhood.

And, as it turned out, Marceau and Bellucci were more than happy to do so.

Women. Tsk tsk.



Don't Look Back opens in cinemas tomorrow.



SOPHIE'S WORLD

Your director, Marina de Van, has an obsession with the body in her films. Do you share that obsession?

SOPHIE MARCEAU: Yes and no. I like my body to be okay in order to use it and be easy with it. It's like cars ... It has to work. If it doesn't work, it really pisses me off. My body is my tool. And not just the body; that's just what's outside. It's also the inside, you know?



Would you go nude for art?

Nudity in a movie, yeah. If it tells a story, it's okay. It's not something I feel comfortable with but it depends on what the circumstances are, actually. I can be very modest but I can be an animal. (Laughs)



Was there any friendly rivalry between you and Monica?

There were very little scenes with the two of us together. Her first day of shooting was my last scene. But there was something harmonious, generous and friendly. No competition at all ... She's strong, but also you can see on the screen there's a lot of fragility and intensity. She exposes herself but I think it's a way of protecting and hiding her child side.

Given your work as an actress, what's your parenting style like?

I think women have a lot to do. Because it's our nature - having them in our body - we feel very responsible for our children. They're my priority. Sometimes it's heavy and we have more and more to do. And there's a moment when you feel overwhelmed and you deserve a bit more time for yourself, more attention towards you as a person and not just as a role. Sometimes I envy a man's schedule. (Laughs)



Would you encourage your daughter if she decides to become an actress?

Not at the moment. Children have to go through maturation. They will do what they have to do, yearn to be who they are. No, I would not push it at all. And I wouldn't even want to present it to them. You have to work on it. If you want to have a nice field of potatoes, you have to work on it. If I see them willing to work, they can do what they want to do. If they think "I want to see the results" before they go through the process ... No.



MONICA'S BABY

There's always a love-making scene in your movies. Does that upset you or do you take it as a compliment?

MONICA BELLUCCI: A woman who doesn't have a sex life should kill herself. (Laughs) I've done many physical movies. Maybe it's because I like to explore the dark side of human beings.



Your director said that you and Sophie are like different continents. Do you agree?

We are completely different in real life - the way we act, everything. But at the same time, we were looking at the movie still and she said: 'Monica, look at the photo - is it you or me?' (Laughs) She was confused! I told her: 'Go home darling, forget the movie.' It's funny that we didn't understand anymore who was who.



Are you obsessed with your body?

When you're an actor, you have to know the difference between the image and who you are. If you create a confusion, it's a big problem. I was talking to Sophie about our babies. I think babies are so important for women. It's very healthy to have a child. Two days ago, she gave me the most beautiful compliment. She said: 'Mummy, I want to be like you. I don't want to work.' (Laughs)



That's a very perceptive five-year-old girl you have.

I love her but at the same time, I know that when she turns 14, she's gonna hate me. And she'll tell me: 'I wanna be free, I don't wanna be you. I don't like who you are.' And this is going to be normal.



What's your beauty secret?

In my family, all the women are really feminine - my mother, my aunt, my grandmother ... She was 80 years old and still wearing red lipstick to church. I loved this ... I came from a family where high heels and make-up is part of the thing. That's why I couldn't be a little girl. I wanted to become like that.