Nymphomaniac 1 [Blu-ray]

"Nymphomaniac," a two-part drama from director Lars von Trier, tackles the issue of sex addiction as brutally and unapologetically as "Requiem for a Dream" did with drug addiction. And while this film is unlikely to receive the kind of accolades that "Requiem" did upon its release, it is still a deeply moving film that explores a very real and very disturbing problem. The film boasts a number of well-known actors, including Charlotte Gainsbourg (Antichrist), Uma Thurman (Pulp Fiction), Shia LaBeouf (Transformers) and Christian Slater (True Romance), who each bring the film to life with all-around solid performances.The film, right from the opening scene, lets you know pretty quickly what you're in for. It opens in England on a snowy evening where a woman (Gainsbourg) lies beaten and unconscious in an alleyway, where she is helped by a lonely older man named Seligman (Stellan Skarsgard). After she refuses to let him call the police, he takes her back to his apartment, where of course, he asks to know what happened to her. The woman, named Joe, reveals to him that she is a nymphomaniac and explains that in order for him to truly understand how she ended up in the alley, she would have to start from the very beginning. This is where the story really begins, and through extended flashbacks, we are transported to the earlier days of Joe's life (the younger Joe is played by Stacy Martin), beginning with her childhood where she was raised by her cold, distant mother (Connie Nielson) and her devoted father (Christian Slater). Troubled by her parents' dysfunctional relationship, Joe has gone through life with an antagonistic view of love. She also finds it difficult to feel emotionally connected to anyone or anything. In fact, the only means she has of filling this void is through sex. She goes from having sex just to try it to engaging in a contest with her friend over who can have sex with the most men on a train, all for a bag of chocolates. It's not too long before Joe's social and emotional fulfillment consist entirely of sex, reaching a point to where she has so many lovers that she can't even tell them apart and must resort to listing them as letters of the alphabet. Her addiction is such that even after being confronted by the heartbroken wife of one her lovers, played with great intensity by Uma Thurman, she continues on with her lifestyle despite the toll her actions are taking on her.Suffice it to say, this film is not for everyone, and it certainly isn't trying to be. The film is very explicit in its language and depictions of sex, and therefore it's not going to appeal to people who find such content offensive. Now, on the other hand, if you're going into this hoping for "50 Shades of Grey: the Movie," then this is not the film you're looking for. There may be numerous sex scenes in the film and they are indeed graphic, but only because of how realistic they feel. They are not meant to be gratuitous or sexy. In fact, quite the opposite. During these scenes, you feel the kind of discomfort that you would with a film about a drug addict in that you are witnessing a person destroy themselves. As an audience member, you want to reach out to Joe and tell her to stop but of course, you can't, making it all the more distressing to watch. This is not what you'd call "a light at the end of the tunnel" kind of movie, another reason why it's definitely not for everybody.That said, to anyone who truly appreciates the kind of great filmmaking that this is, then I would daresay this is a must-see. On a visual level, this has to be one of the most beautifully shot films I've seen in a long time. In the beginning scene alone, there's a shot of snow falling in an alleyway and it's done in a way where the snow looks like it's popping right off the screen.The performances are really what make this film work as well as it does. Charlotte Gainsbourg, who, despite not being in the film all that much, is captivating whenever she's onscreen. She deftly captures Joe's despair and self-hatred so that despite her wrongdoings, we still feel sympathy towards her. Stacy Martin as young Joe likewise captures the character's lack of social confidence. I can see many young actresses being intimidated to take on a role as physically demanding as this, but Martin handles her numerous sex scenes very professionally. Stellan Skarsgard is completely charming and funny as Joe's seemingly nonjudgmental savior who continually tries to justify her actions to her, even going so far as to compare her condition to fly-fishing. I would say that Shia LaBeouf is the weakest link here, who just kind of mumbles his way through his lines, probably to hide his atrocious attempt at a cockney accent. He's not bad in the film, but compared to the performances of his fellow cast members, his feels the least inspired. On the other hand, a performance that does feel very inspired comes from Christian Slater as Joe's father. Seriously, how long has it been since you could say that? Slater, in the limited screen time he is given, proves that he can do much more than a decent Jack Nicholson impersonation and has a much wider range than he gets credit for. The relationship between his character and Joe is beautiful and heartwarming and it makes you want to see more of Slater again. Hopefully this film will help to put him back on the map and that he'll get some more films worth his talent. Fingers crossed."Nymphomaniac" is very bold in how it addresses sex addiction. It does not point fingers or try to vilify sex addicts but rather explores the psychology of someone driven to this kind of lifestyle. Despite how disturbing and gloomy this film is, I still greatly look forward to Volume Two (which comes out this April)and am curious to see how this fascinating story concludes. I give this film five stars and only hope that the second part of the film is just as impressive.

Respect or despise him, Lars von Trier is one of the most talented directors in international cinema today. Over the past few years von Trier has infuriated me with Dogville, scarred me with Antichrist, and hypnotized me with Melancholia. I happen to thoroughly enjoy all of these films as cinematic experiences, even if I wouldn’t necessarily want to watch them again or even recommend them to anybody (well, I wouldn’t recommend Antichrist to just anybody).As a fan of the director’s work, I was naturally drawn to what was being billed as a four-plus hour opus: Nymphomaniac. Myriad rumors have emerged in the past year leading up to the film’s two-part release about whether or not the actors actually participated in the sex their characters have onscreen. Art house release disadvantages aside, it is ironic that sex doesn’t seem to be selling this movie very well at all; but it is fitting that the old adage does not apply to von Trier’s latest. The film’s commercial release is not unlike last year’s Spring Breakers; a film that lures viewers in with the no-thinking-required tantalization of sexy young starlets but ends up conveying a much-thinking-required societal message. Despite the fact that the film is full of sex scenes, Nymphomaniac is more likely to satiate viewers intellectually then give them a snuff film fix.Coming from a man who has opened his films with slow-motion sequences of apocalyptic planet collisions and infants falling to their death, the first part of von Trier’s two-part project is surprisingly amiable in its tone. In this way, the inviting, although brooding, film mirrors the demeanor of the kindly Seligman (Stellan Skarsgard) an old man who takes in Jo (Charlotte Gainsbourg) a woman whom he finds beaten in an alley. Gainsbourg has never been an average actress, and she is far from portraying an “average Jo.” Skeptical about Jo’s immediate claim that she is a “bad human being” Seligman listens to the origins of and turning points of her lifelong odyssey of meaningless sexual endeavors. The series of flashbacks in this first volume feature Stacy Martin as Young Jo, and achieves seamless coherency with her older counterpart. Many of the seminal characters in Volume I are portrayed by actors that many viewers have not seen onscreen for some time including Uma Thurman as a spouse scorned, Shia LaBeouf as the man who takes Jo’s virginity, and Christian Slater as Jo’s tree-enamored father.Many critics and especially “offended” viewers will comment on the endless explicitness of Nymphomaniac’s sex scenes. Yeah. There is lots of sex in a movie called Nymphomaniac; von Trier ensures that audiences get what they pay for. The most memorable moments of the film do not depend on cunnilingus, train bathroom trysts, or Martin’s nipples. Von Trier’s script nixes straight-up pornography in favor of extended metaphor that effortlessly intermingle addiction, sex, and love to everything from Bach and fly fishing, to cake forks and jigsaw puzzles. Going into the film expecting a balls-to-the-wall orgy would be like watching Drive to get a Fast and the Furious gearhead fix. At its base level Nymphomaniac: Volume I is a pleasant, visually-engaging, philosophical conversation between two intelligent, passionate people.

Very, very boring. It's the story of a mature women, with lots of bruises on her face, never explained, telling an even more mature man, some of the stories of her youth. For instance, she had sex with five or six men in a train, including a blow job, even when she is obviously not enjoying it. Just for the sake of if. At some point you are treated to six or seven photos of naked penises, that bear no relation to the rest of the story. Although she is not a prostitute, she says she wants to be treated like a thing, and she gets her wish. I didn't expect romanticism of any sort, but at least the kind of communication between man and woman after they have just had sex. But for her sex is kind of a sport. In short, depressing and boring.

I can't recall seeing graphic nudity to this level without it being porn, not saying that's a bad thing. I actually appreciate it. Not one for the family.

arrived on time home use

Como incondicional absoluto de este soberbio genio (Lars Von Trier), quizás mi opinión no sea del todo objetiva.Se tratan de dos películas (su edición es técnicamente perfecta), en la que tras su visionado quedé muy impresionado. Después y tras reflexionar, tengo la impresión que esta película tiene más de una interpretación (como "las capas de una cebolla"); desde la mas directa y sencilla (es decir tal y como se nos representa), hasta otras mucho mas inquietantes... ya que veo múltiples simbolismos y mensajes en estas dos películas.NOTA IMPORTANTE: NO ES APTA PARA MENORES (tanto de edad, como de coeficiente intelectual), y en absoluto es una obra pornográfica, así que recomiendo a todos los amantes de este sub género,que busquen en otro sito, o se llevaran un descomunal chasco.

Lars von Trier est un cinéaste exceptionnel qui s'attaque à de véritables sujets et non à des bluettes comme l'on en voit trop actuellement au point que le cinéma a pratiquement cessé d'être un art depuis le reflux de la nouvelle vague.L'analyse spontanée qui préside au DVD 1 est un chef d’œuvre infiniment supérieur à de ridicules " Ch’timis" ou " qu'est que nous avons fait..."LVT maintien une forme d'art à l'expression cinematographique.

Ad oggi 22/05/2014 non l'ho ancora ricevuto!!!!Non sono stato contattato da nessuno....Quindi come faccio a dare una valutazione???Attendo notizie in merito.

Este Von Trier claramente no sabe dejar indiferente. Imagino que si has llegado hasta aquí es porque sabes lo que vas a comprar, pero si la compraste a ciegas, como yo, que me encanta el director, pero apenas nada sabía de la película, pues creemé, difícilmente te va a decepcionar. Ahora bien, yendo a lo "insustancial", si esperas una fotografía flipante como la de Anticristo o Melancolía, no vas a encontrar eso, pero si que vas a encontrar todo lo demás. Aparte, estáis advertido, la película es durísima y nunca debe verse desde el prejucio, o sin lugar a dudas la magia de Von Trier no calará. Tanto la 1 como al 2 se deben ver juntas.