By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Venus in Fur (France/Poland; 96
min.)
directed by:
Roman Polanski
starring:
Mathieu Amalric; Emmanuelle Seigner
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Thom says: “Since
Polanski has directed 8 top-rated films for me in KNIFE IN THE WATER,
REPULSION, CUL-DE-SAC, ROSEMARY’S BABY, TESS, MACBETH, THE TENANT,
& CHINATOWN I still feel obligated to see all of his films.
Although it’s been 35 years since his prime he certainly has come
through with some memorable accomplishments in THE
PIANIST, THE GHOST,
THE NINTH GATE, and others. His last film CARNAGE was from a play as is
this most recent endeavor which might well point to him having trouble
getting a larger project at his advancing age over 80.
“This film features an actress arriving late for a casting call with a
new play’s director/writer in a run-down theatre. He is not at all
impressed with her and is downright hostile towards her trying out as
he’s convinced she’s all wrong. When she finally gets her chance it’s a
beautifully composed scene that is very reminiscent of Naomi Watts
star-turn in MULHOLLAND
DR. when she does her part-reading scene, for she almost
immediately astounds the director (by the way, doesn’t it seem like
Amalric is in every other French film you see these days?). The play’s
text has been adapted from a novel by Leopold Von Sacher-Masoch, the
writer whose name was derived masochism. His great fantasy was to be
dominated by a woman in furs.
“What Polanski does best here is guide our two characters expertly
through a minefield of dialogue that purposely confuses the audience
with what is actually being acted and what is being actually said. The
clever story though might well turn sour depending on your stance on
sado-masochism. Maybe if I were 25 I’d enjoy this more. 3 cats” |
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