Tuesday, September 16, 2008

The Last Mistress

I seem to come out of every French movie I see saying, "How french," no matter the genre or era.

The Last Mistress is a French period costume piece with a lot of sex and a bleak world view.

Rake, ne'er-do-well, playboy Ryno de Marigny (played by Fu'ad Ait Aattou) is marrying up to the horror of his fiancee's family's friends. de Marigny convinces his fiancee's grandmother (and the audience) of his love for his betrothed and his earnest desire to make her happy.

Yet, conspiring against the couple are his mistress of 10 years, his own weak nature and his self-loathing.

Asia Argento, as the mistress, Vellini, commands the screen at every turn.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

French emotions - at least in film - seem so anguished and depressing. They do have such beautiful landscapes, architecture, food. There's plenty to find joy in there, I guess that's a sign I'm not French.

Try some Italian films.