Let’s Talk About Sex: Review of Nymphomaniac Volumes I & II

Nymphomaniac Volumes I & II

Director: Lars Von Trier

By Alex Watson

When a Lars Von Trier movie rolls into town, always expect and fear everything possible! Ever since the controversial poster campaign for his new movie Nymphomaniac Volumes I & II was unveiled, publicity hype went into overdrive and after star Shia LaBeouf’s bizarre paper wearing act at the Berlin Film Festival, curiosity has been heightened. No stranger to controversy, Lars Von Trier always excelled in offering raw and intense cinema and I was privileged last night to be a part of the nationwide ‘One Night Stand’ event last night at the Cornerhouse in Manchester where both films were screen back to back, which proved a lengthy marathon! Prepare for things to get very explicit here!

When Joe (Charlotte Gainsbourg) is found lying beaten in an alleyway by well read stranger Seligman (Stellan Skarsgard), she recounts to her the full story of her life- including details of her childhood, her many sexual encounters and their relevance to her life and her on/off relationship with childhood sweetheart Jerome (Shia LaBeouf).

So just how shocking is Nymphomaniac Volume 1 & 2? Well the answer to that question I cannot sum up in words, and this is one experience that people will need to face head on to really discover its content! Von Trier as normal pulls no punches when it comes to the films attitude about nudity and sex and the images displayed would make even the most seasoned porn viewer squirm- but then again you would feel offended if that man dared hold back on an audience, and the result is a movie that is unflinching, uncomfortable but nonetheless- brilliant!

Divided over two parts (with clever coming up segments in between) both movies are very different affairs and will quite likely send you head spinning in all directions! Volume one deals directly with actions of the younger Joe (Stacy Martin), and what shapes her  into the person who lies beaten in Seligman’s bed, including her early (and frequent) sexual experiences, which lead to an awkward and hilarious scenario involving ditched wife Mrs H (Uma Thurman). In this segment an early trauma in unveiled as we see the tragic passing of her beloved father (Christian Slater) and his descent into delirium which leads to Joe becoming closed emotionally! Volume one is by far the more light hearted stretch of Von Triers movie and has equally measured moments of joy, pain, humour and shocking images.

Volume two however, is a far more heavy handed affair and things descend into a dark spiral as time progresses as Joe enters a bizarre relationship with an unnamed Sadist (Jamie Bell) and discovers a way to use her powers of manipulation to use by becoming a shady debt collector for businessman L (Willem Dafoe) which becomes a roaring success- although gives way to one of the movies most unnerving sequences and she humiliates a collectee by stripping and exposing his deepest pleasure by making him get an erection. The images and content compared to the first volume are more likely to make people flinch in their seats, but the overall effect is a powerful one as Joe’s actions begin to develop consequences and also benefits from a jaw dropping last few seconds where events turn on their head!

As a protagonist, the self loathing Joe is a person we should truly dislike with great intensity due to her callous attitude towards sex and her ability to disrupt lives without a second thought. In the films early act we see her frequenting bedrooms and adding fuel to her addiction, as she maliciously denotes in one support group “I love my dark lust”, but as Nymphomaniac rolls along and Joe and Seligman joyful link their stories to a series of literary and religious topics, we see a glimmer of redemption appearing and a renewed hope for a life without sin!

Charlotte Gainsbourg excels as Joe and gives a performance of the highest quality which gives the movie its raw feel but she also is also capable of bringing a stirring feeling to events and through her softly spoken narration, our hearts both warm and shatter sharply! A regular Von Trier contributor, Gainsbourg is fast become of world cinema’s darlings and this film will not do her no harm! But its newcomer Stacy Martin, in a bold and breathtaking début performance who perhaps steals proceedings. The Anglo-Franco actress takes over the lions share of the first movie and demonstrates a great commitment to a role which requires more nude scenes than some will see in an entire career.

Stellan Skarsgard has a blast as the scholarly Seligman and he gleefully links Joe’s stories to his beloved books and listens to her dirty tales without so much as a batting an eyelid! Skarsgard brings the stabilizing force to the movie and gives Joe was she has never had- a friend! Shia LaBeouf proves movies weak link and is not helped by a funny accent that seems to fall somewhere between England, Australian and South Africa- his recent outlandish bag wearing antics have been more impressive than his performance here.

One of the more talked about pictures for 2014, Nymphomaniac Volumes I & II certainly has lived up to the hype and self proclaimed ‘Persona Non Grata’ Von Trier delivers us a movie that few of us will ever forget and experience that is horrifying, awkward, but yet- uplifting and beautiful! What will you think of next Lars?

Welcome to the Naked City: Shame Review

Shame

Director: Steve McQueen

By Alex Watson

Steve McQueen has emerged in recent years as being the new bold British director on the block. Following the tour de force that was his film Hunger his following has picked up steadily. Now we turn to his next offering to cinema, his film Shame. After watching the striking scenes of Bobby Sands’ physical decline in Hunger, the topic of sex addiction in his new film was never going to be a comfortable watch! I was recently privileged to see a preview of this film at the Cornerhouse Cinema in Manchester.

The story revolves around Brandon (Michael Fassbender), a successful executive living in New York City; on the surface the man appears to have it all. He is good looking, rich and has more than average luck with the ladies. However underneath the facade, Brandon is experiencing trouble managing his sexual compulsions and in some ways is drowning as a result. His life is further complicated by the arrival of his troubled sister Sissy (Carey Mulligan) who arrives for an indefinite period. Gradually Brandon’s perfect world begins to spiral out of control.

In some ways, Shame is a film that represents a conflict between Brandon’s body and his soul. In this film he appears weary from his sexual encounters, but without them he cannot function normally. This is exemplified in one scene where he fails to have normal sex with his secretary (Nichole Beharrie) and instead discards her for a random hooker! Without the thrill of the unknown Brandon’s world cannot operate.

The key issue is the loneliness and isolation that the main character feels; outside office hours Brandon is a vacant lot. In the opening scene we see him emerge naked from his room of solitude and constantly ignoring desperate voice mails from Sissy.  Brandon is in his own personal hell, McQueen shows it to be Manhattan. A world filled with anonymous apartments, sterile offices and pick ups in dive bars.

McQueen’s direction however, is the real driver of the piece. Shame could have so easy just have been any old male romp comedy you might have seen floating around mainstream cinema. But McQueen however, isn’t just interested in a cheap sex farce. The psychological elements are what give the story its edge.  Through close ups he uses the faces to tell the story and not so much the events.  In one scene there is emotion aplenty as Mulligan silky crones ‘New York, New York’ to Fassbender and his boss. Through the haunting emotion in her voice to the close of the tears from Brandon’s eyes, it symbolises the death of both their dreams. This technique says more than any dialogue could have.

At the centre of Shame we have a mesmerising turn by Michael Fassbender, the new ever present man of cinema. He plays Brandon as a normal man who hides his anguish and insecurity from the world behind a wall of arrogance. Fassbender adds a depth that makes the character more humane. He is joined by Carey Mulligan in a strong supporting turn. Sissy is a problem from the very outset. The relationship between them is complicated due to unspecified past events and her invasion of Brandon’s world is most unwelcome. Through limited screen time Mulligan creates a fascinating character. Although flaky and self-sabotaging, Sissy seems desperate to be loved, either by her brother or by any other man.

Although it is explicit and unflinching, Shame will no doubt be near the top of my list of films for 2012. Some will no doubt see this as an overly long sex fest, but for me this film was so much more. Through McQueen and Fassbender we feel a rawness of emotion so rarely captured.  I am delighted to announce that we have a fascinating new piece of British Cinema on our hands.