Director: Jean-Claude Brisseau
Year Released: 2002
Rating: 2.0
Not really sure why Cahiers du Cinema when so spastic over this, placing it as #1 in their Top Ten poll for 2002, unless it comes down to the fact that they're so desperate for a Pauline Reage rehash that they'll settle for anything (plus a third act that smacks of Eyes Wide Shut). The two leads - and masturbation buddies - do the whole Story of O thing: undressing behind doors, fingering themselves (and each other) in subways, daring to get caught, diddling with embarrassment. It's sexually enticing (if intellectually suspect) for the first two acts - with restrained performances and minimal philosophizing - before going apeshit at the end, when Brisseau drags out its ultimate sexual freak (he has a thing for his sister, but that just goes with the territory) who smirks like a soap opera star and tortures women until they set themselves on fire. I believe it's trying to say something about the correlation between office politics and sexual politics, but just too preposterous to be convincing.
