Critically Acclaimed Roman Polanski Releases New Film: Venus in Fur.

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Dec. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- R.P. Productions is proud to announce the opening of Venus in Fur, a drama starring Emmanuelle Seigner and Mathieu Amalric, and directed by Roman Polanski.

Released November 8, 2013 in Poland, the film is already making waves. Venus in Fur is the story of Thomas Novacheck, a writer and director of a new play, an adaptation of the 1870 novel, Venus in Furs. As he is on the telephone discussing how inadequate the actresses who showed up to audition for the female lead were, a new actress, Vanda Jordan, comes in to convince him to read the play with her. As the two read through the play together, Vanda shows incredible insight into the novel, as well as the main character. Over the course of the reading, Vanda establishes total dominance over Thomas, exactly as in the novel.

Emmanuelle Seigner and Mathieu Amalric star in this movie, as a two-person cast. The film reunites Amalric and Seigner who starred in Julian Schnabel's "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly." Seigner is the director's wife, and her role in the film nods to the sadomasochism present in every director-actor relationship. Amalric is a well-known actor, with many credits to his name including: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007), Quantum of Solace (2008), Munich (2005), and Mesrine: Public Enemy #1.

His appearance bears a striking resemblance to the young Polanski, furthering the film with undertones about his personal life and the actor-director relationship.  Critic Guy Lodges says, "It's frisky, funny stuff, unavoidably slight but given considerable verve by the game performances; Seigner, in particular, locates a certain snap, a kind of fizzy anger, in Vanda that we haven't previously seen from the actress."

Both actors are considerably older than their stage counterparts, which implies a different kind of hunger, and a greater degree of knowing, behind Vanda's motivations in particular. Meanwhile, it's high time Polanski worked with Amalric, his closest physical counterpart: watching him flirt, fight and verbally tussle with the director's wife on screen, it's tempting to wonder just how much we are being told about their marriage. Then again, "Venus in Fur" finds Polanski repeatedly thumbing his nose at armchair psychologists too quick to find overarching themes in this (or any other) work. "How can you play her so well and be so fucking stupid about her?" fumes Thomas, when Vanda suggests the play is in fact "all about child abuse."  "It's enough to make you briefly wonder how many Polanski classics we've misread by the director's standards; not that this flavorful diversion invites repeated readings in the first place. He's having palpable fun here, but I'm ready for him to go play outdoors."

About the Director
Roman Polanski is a Polish film director, producer, writer and actor. Having made films in Poland, Britain, France and the USA, he is considered one of the few truly international filmmakers. A list of Roman Polanski IMDB films can be found here.

Jean Marc
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SOURCE Venus in Fur