The Last Mistress

Paris, 1835--On the eve of his marriage to frigid French aristocrat Hermangarde (Roxane Mesquida), Ryno do Marigny (Fu-ad Ait Aatou) tells his fiancé’s grandmother, Marquise de Flers (Claude Sarraute), the sordid details of his ten-year relationship with his fiery Spanish mistress Vellini (Asia Argento), a woman of unquenchable desire. Fraught with leaden exposition, melodramatic outbursts of billowy emotion, and dispassionate sex scenes, the movie ultimately fails because of its lack empathetic characters, and because their situation remains stagnate regardless of the objectively tumultuous episodes they endure. Lush cinematic compositions, locations, and costumes compensate for some of the story's lacking impact, but not enough to recommend it as anything more than a guilty pleasure.

Not Rated, 115 mins. (C-)