IF you are looking for a romantic experience at the cinema but are fed up of all the typical rom coms, try Breathless for an alternative Valentine's treat.

The French New Wave movie is being shown at the Pyramid as part of a season of classic and contemporary film at the venue, funded by the British Film Institute's (BFI) Film Hub North West Central.

According to relationship counsellor-turned-author John Gray, men are from Mars and women are from Venus.

But in the case of classic French film, Breathless, men are from Paris and women are from New York.

Jean-Luc Godard's debut 1960 feature is as much about a troubled romance as it is about a criminal in his final hours.

The black and white film, one of the most influential examples of the French New Wave, sees Michel (Jean-Paul Belmondo) hide out with his American girlfriend Patricia (Jean Seberg) after shooting and killing a police officer on a secluded country road.

Michel is a ruthless and dangerous menace to society whose only mission is to call in a loan to fund an escape to Italy.

But through Patricia, the viewer can see a different side to him. It is like Michel transforms before your eyes.

He goes from a shady character and someone you would naturally consider to be repugnant to someone you can almost relate to.

The highlight of Breathless is the conversations between Michel and Patricia where Godard's camera seems to relax into the background.

The couple's differences could not be more overt but their chemistry is undeniable.

Patricia is a journalist for the New York Herald Tribune and Michel is a crook and their conversations allude to many truths about their priorities in life and how their opinions differ because of their cultural background and gender.

Modelling himself on Humphrey Bogart, Michel is effortlessly cool but Patricia is not swept off her feet just like and that is perhaps why he is drawn to her – because she is a challenge.

Then, of course, there is the moral quandary when Patricia discovers that Michel is a killer and she agonises over what to do next.

One of the best examples of French New Wave by a pioneering director, Godard's Breathless has earned its place in the history of cinema.

But some viewers may dislike its unconventional 'rule breaking' style without even a hint of a happy ending.

Breathless shows us that ultimately love doesn't always conquer all...but it does come close.