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Jun 19, 2014 By Zach Hollwedel Issue #50 - June/July 2014 - Future Islands

Thomas (Mathieu Amalric) is a theatre director who has spent the day unsuccessfully trying to cast the female lead in his adaptation of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch’s novel, Venus in Furs. As Thomas is packing up, Vanda (Emmnuelle Seigner) barges in. Pushy and unprofessional, she pesters him to let her audition. He relents and is shocked by her perfect performance and detailed knowledge of both the character and play. Over her prolonged audition, Vanda bewitches Thomas, and their identities blend with those of the play’s characters—he the submissive, and she the powerful goddess of love.

Renowned director Roman Polanski proves his dexterity once again with this dark, mystifying, and anything but simple two-character, single-location film. Amalric and Seigner deliver complicated and daring performances, deftly alternating between—and then blurring—their on-stage and off-stage personas. The film won’t be for every viewer, and the quasi-supernatural story leaves far more questions unanswered than explained. As the character interactions intensify, audiences in favor of less avant-garde fare will rightly wonder what exactly it is they’re watching.

www.ifcfilms.com/films/venus-in-fur

Author rating: 6/10