Getting personal? Polanski lookalike teams up with director’s wife in new film Venus in Fur
VENUS in Fur: Mathieu Amalric is a dead-ringer for a younger Roman Polanski in this ever-intensifying war of words, wills and talents.
Leigh Paatsch
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ANYONE who has ever endured the agony of having to audition for anything will pick up the coded signals being transmitted by Venus in Fur at full strength.
Adapted from the play by David Ives, the film is a claustrophobic chronicle of a casting call going gradually and irreversibly haywire.
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Mathieu Amalric plays Thomas, an egotistical playwright who can’t find the right actor for the lead female role in his latest work.
At the end of a long afternoon of underwhelming tryouts, Vanda (Emmanuelle Seigner) walks through the door. She is very late and, furthermore, looks very unsuitable for the part.
Thomas tries to shake her off without having to hear her read some lines.
Vanda stands her ground. The audition commences.
What follows is an ever-intensifying war of words, wills and talents. Thomas swiftly realises he has misread Vanda’s ability to carry his play.
Vanda slowly reveals she might not be all that interested in landing the role.
The motives behind this one-on-one battle for supremacy are cloaked with conniving glee by director Roman Polanski, who was clearly drawn to this torrid two-hander for personal reasons.
Could the tortured control freak that is Thomas be a stand-in for the controversial filmmaker himself? You bet.
Amalric is a dead-ringer for a younger Polanski, while Seigner is Polanski’s wife in real life.
Venus in Fur (MA15+)
Director: Roman Polanski (The Pianist)
Starring: Emmanuelle Seigner, Mathieu Amalric
Verdict: Three stars. They’ve gotta role with the punches
Originally published as Getting personal? Polanski lookalike teams up with director’s wife in new film Venus in Fur
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