07/21/08
Text: Alex Kish
Catherine Breillat is the ultimate feminist, though this isn’t simply because she always comments on modern, patriarchal society in her films, or that her female characters have more emotional depth than her leading men. Her title stems from her devotion to showing real women’s sexuality in all her films without playing some half-baked morality card.
Her newest release, The Last Mistress, may be a lot tamer than her previous flicks, but it still explores the power and pain associated with sexually-free women and, like always, portrays men as the weaker sex (sorry, boys!).
Set in the tight-laced society of 18th century France, the film revolves around the sexual desire between Velllini (Asia Argento), the illegitimate child of an Italian princess and Spanish matador, and society-climber Ryno De Marigny (Fu’ad Ait Aattou). Although Ryno is about to marry Hermangarde (Roxane Mesquida), some gem of French aristocracy, he can’t seem to shake off his 10-year affair with Vellini. Set primarily in a flashback, the film recounts the relationship between Ryno and Vellini, from its game-playing inception, lusty exploits and birth of a child, and examines the effect of Ryno’s marriage on their relationship. Although Ryno proclaims that his love for Vellini has died, he can’t seem to stop going back to her bed, sparking an insidious love triangle.
Although the plot is rather trite, it’s the characters that really move this film. Aattou (an ex-model who’s prettier than both lead actresses in the film) does a surprisingly remarkable job in the film, considering it’s his first acting role ever. He gives his jaded Marigny enough assertiveness to make his smoothness believable, but also breathes enough vulnerability into his character to make his weakness seem legitimate. Yet it’s Argento's Vellini who really dominates this film.
There are two ways at looking at Vellini. On one hand, she’s the ultimate queen vamp—a woman who isn’t afraid of passion, lust or deviant ways. She openly badmouths Ryno, has this strange passion for drinking his blood, and holds no shame in interrupting him and his wife during their honeymoon.
On the other hand, one could look at her as ahead of her time. When she falls in love with Marigny, she walks out on her husband without a lick of shame; when she realizes that Marigny no longer wants her, she lets him go without pleading; and when she wants sex, she has it—and passionately. The most ironic thing about her character is that she never begs Ryno to come back to her. Yes, she toys with him, but she also once has to force him into her bed. Vellini’s dynamic with Ryno, that of the illegitimate woman holding power over an aristocratic man, is what gives her the mark of Breillat's self-assured, strong woman. Free and unashamed, she is arguably too modern even for this century.
Though this isn’t Breillat’s strongest film by a long shot (it doesn’t have the ending-punch that Romance and 36 Fillette carry), it’s still worth seeing for its reverse-gender roles and dialogue on human desire... not to mention especially good for women to see on a day when the patriarch is bringing them down!
The Last Mistress trailer and information on IFC
