Up to now Catherine Breillat has been unashamedly up-front in a series of modern day medium-core pornographic movies. It seems a little late in the day to seek respectability by setting the graphic couplings in a period setting but that essentially is what she's done. For French film buffs it's a joy to see people like Yolande Moreau and Michael Lonsdale in anything and Ann Parillaud and Amira Casar are not exactly chopped liver if anybody asks you. Breillat protégé Roxanne Mesquida is also on hand to take care of most of the sexual content and it has to be said that Breillat has shot a seriously sumptuous movie. Whether it is, however, anything more than a chocolate-box with soft-core centres is moot.
Review of The Last Mistress
