One thing that movie fans should be reminded is that Roman Polansky is not everyone's cup of tea. In fact Roman Polansky is no newbie in exploring the dynamics of being dominant and submissive in a relationship. As if you have seen "Bitter moon" you must already know that. And if people found boring "Carnage" (which is one of my favorites by him) because it had just fours actors and one scenario, then they are going to find this one even more boring by having just two. To me that is the magic of Polansky, he can keep us in trance with an old theater and just his favorite actress and a Polansky look alike two thousand years younger old actor. I must confess I have never read the original book or watch the original play which this is based to, I don't think it is necessary to do it to really grasp what is happening here. The thing here is that, there is a woman and a man, in different hierarchies, they are no equals. He is a writer who will stage his adapted play and she is an actress looking for a job. In fact during the whole movie/play they never reach equality, there is always one on top and one who is submissive, but who is playing which role is for the audience to interpret. I must admit that when I saw the trailer and saw that Emmanuelle Seigner was in it, I had my doubts that she could pull once again the sensuality that is due to the role, after all she is already fifty, she doesn't have anymore that innocent and sensual look that she had when she was twenty years younger. But not only she pulled the role, she made it hers in my point of view. It is really intriguing to see how she takes this stranger and changes him and manipulates him with just her sensuality. In fact I found it a little bit scary the power that this woman had. I really enjoyed this movie and would recommend to any fan of Roman Polansky or to people who is interest in the dynamics of human relationships.

10 years after his Academy Award win and now at the age of 80, lauded director and controversial person Roman Polanski may very well be at his most prolific. "La Vénus à la fourrure" is already his third feature film since 2010 and they're all of at least decent quality. His 2011 work "Carnage" already centered on no more than four characters and with his newest effort, he's even down to 2, the same quantity like in his last work "A Therapy", which was merely a short film though. These two are some of the most significant names in French cinema right now, namely Polanski's wife Emmanuelle Seigner and Mathieu Amalric, which actually makes it a reunion from the universally praised "Le scaphandre et le papillon".

"La Vénus à la fourrure" is an interesting character study and the material is perfect for Polanski's way of depicting the abysses of human behavior and relationships. Of course, it's not as bright as the films of Woody Allen for example, but if you closely pay attention, you'll find a good ounce of Polanski's humor as well, the highlight being of course Vanda shouting obscenities in a way Thomas' wife can hear it over the phone. These phone calls are one of the most telling parts anyway as every time Thomas robs Vanda of his attention, she (seemingly) turns the tables on him. The way Thomas gets more and more caught up in Vanda's web is something special anyway and a masterclass performance by Amalric. In addition, his scene in drag near the end could have turned out pretty bad if not executed with focus and precision and Amalric did all that.

Seigner as his counterpart was pretty convincing too. She's in control from start to finish. Yes she is too late, but of course she knew how to scheme things to get the audition. There never was the option that she would not. I also like the idea of her deliberately waiting inside until the last applicant had left and wait until she can be late just for the sake of it, just for setting herself apart from the oh so punctual and dutiful other contestants. She's the S in SM. She's always in charge, even if she lets Thomas think he is. Thomas is desperate because none of the others could make the part work, here's his rescue. He needs that woman, he can't do without her. And quickly, his professional dependence turns into an emotional one.

There really was not much wrong with this movie. Both actors did their best and it's well written and directed. The setting was great with the stage, although the real stage was the two circling around the theater stage. If there was anything I didn't like, it was the final scene of Seigner's character. The silent domination from all the previous scenes becoming so showy all of a sudden with all the lights etc. didn't appeal to me at all. It still was just a minor flaw to me personally and I recommend the movie, which is probably even more impressive as I wasn't too familiar with the actors before watching the movie and also not really interested in the world of theater or sadomasochism. 90 minutes of men-women interaction at his very darkest.

Since I had not been able to fully appreciate the recent Polanski works, this movie has been for me a big surprise. I especially disliked "Carnage" because I found it predictable, and therefore boring – and I know very well I was quite alone in my opinion, but still. For this reason, I was biased towards another movie from the same director featuring just a couple of characters secluded in an interior. But, eventually, I found "Venus" surprising and exciting (and please don't misunderstand: excitement entirely came out of surprise).

The script, apparently simple, is a jewel with many shining facets, a brilliant movie translation of a witty stageplay inspired by a meaningful and modern book. It is like a very complex choreography, a delicate and fragile thing, very easy to spoil unless the execution is perfect. But the great work of the director and of the actors have produced a real masterpiece that maintains a high level of tension and interest throughout his whole running time.

Thanks to the brilliant connections between literature, stage and reality, and thanks to the many things that remain unclear about the character's real identities and motivations, this movie sounds much more like a question than like a an answer: some kind of Rorschach spot to test the opinion of the audience about the relationships between a man and a woman, between the lover and the beloved one. Go see it with an open mind, and you won't be disappointed: even in a worst case scenario you will find an interesting piece of conversation, so anyhow your time will be well spent.