A self-diagnosed nymphomaniac recounts her erotic experiences to the man who saved her after a beating.
Director: Lars von Trier (Dogville, Antichrist, Melancholia)
Starring: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Stellan Skarsgard, Stacy Martin, Shia LaBeouf, Christian Slater, Uma Thurman, Jamie Bell, Willem Dafoe, Mia Goth
Lars von Trier. If you know the name then you're aware of the avant-garde, ambiguous style he produces in every feature film he's made. Nymphomaniac, with its two parts and 240 minute running time, has its cast practicing real sex acts. It's the sole reason why this film has garnered so much attention. Overlooked is everything else in between. Joe (Gainsbourg) tells her tale of emotional and physical highs and lows to Seligman (Skarsgard), a dutiful, friendly fellow that helps her after an assault. Her life's story is split up into metaphorical chapters, from the moment she finds her sexuality as a young girl, up to present day. Gainsbourg is a fine example of ideal casting, looking the part before baring any skin. Her story telling is clunky and disjointed. Lars von Trier's scriptwriting is dry, elusive and as ambiguous as a white canvas. The word cunt's blurted out more times by Gainsbourg than seen, grating like nails on a chalkboard. The acting's authentic, by all accounts (most notable is Stacy Martin playing young Joe), but only when dialogue is absent (Shia LaBeouf's accent is diabolical). The scenes that contain nudity represent nymphomania. Porn's toes are not being trod on. Nymphomaniac's easier to digest than other LvT films. Some viewers may feel short changed and a little underwhelmed, both physically and emotionally, by the end.
1.5/5
No comments:
Post a Comment