A lot of people seem to really dislike this film. But I absolutely love it.
The whole vibe of the film is fantastic. Solemn and hypnotic and seductive. It meanders, insinuates and entices as we follow the central character’s odyssey to find the person she wants to be. A journey revealed through persistent undercurrents of sedate and melancholy tensions, psychological, emotional and sexual.
Everything is always slightly off kilter, around the next corner, opaque but evident. Even the dialogue refuses to comply. Rather than blending with the muted, introspective mood, instead it contrarily, almost perversely, leaps stridently across the chasms of isolation between the characters to connect with abrupt revelatory force.
A film of acutely intersecting angularities and profound sensuality, the eroticism and sex always feel meditative, kinky and transcendent. And Noémie Merlant as Emmanuelle is never less than utterly mesmerising, and through a beautifully nuanced performance the viewer is allowed to inhabit the character’s internal world of curiosity, trepidation, courage and desire.
The bold yet discreet direction and editing, the gorgeous cinematography, and the wonderful soundtrack all contribute to a beautifully realised cinematic experience brimming with poise, vulnerability and sensuality.
I have no idea why people dislike this film, I think it’s wonderful.
Reuben's Rating of 10/10
