The final chapter in the NYMPHOMANIAC-saga is about to unfold as NYMPHOMANIAC DIRECTOR’S CUT will finally meet its international audience at upcoming festivals, theatrical screenings and events all over the world.
The local releases of the film will be accompanied by a simultaneous VOD release in a number of countries.
Read Melissa Howland’s reviews of Volume One HERE and Volume Two HERE.
NYMPHOMANIAC will be released on VOD on October 2nd in the US, Canada, Spain, The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia as well as in von Trier’s native Denmark with more territories to follow in the weeks to come.
In Lars von Trier’s native country, Denmark, the director’s cut version has received rave reviews in connection with its theatrical release and event screenings. Danish critics have handed out 5 and 6-star reviews to the film which met the audience for the first time at Berlin International Film Festival (Vol. 1) earlier this year and Venice Film Festival (Vol. 2) about a month ago.
The upcoming releases and festivals completes the circle for one of the most unusual and extraordinary releases seen in a long time.
NYMPHOMANIAC is produced by Louise Vesth for Zentropa Entertainments31 in co-production with Bettina Brokemper for Zentropa International Köln, Marianne Slot for Slot Machine, Bert Hamelinck for Caviar and Arte France Cinéma, Film i Väst and Group Grand Accord: Arte G.E.I.E, with support from The Danish Film Institute, Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, Eurimages, Deutscher Filmförderfonds, Centre Nationale du cinéma et de l’image animée, The Belgian Tax Shelter, Swedish Film Institute and Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF) and in cooperation with DR, Nordisk Film and TV Fond, Canal+, Arte France, Den Vestdanske Filmpulje and Ciné+.
Lars von Trier’s NYMPHOMANIAC : VOLUME 2 takes us on a dark journey down the second half of a nymphomaniacs tale of lust, desire, and pain.
NYMPHOMANIAC : VOLUME 2 picks up right where Joe (Charlotte Gainsbourge) left off as delves deeper about her into her life as a nymphomaniac to stranger named Seligman (Stellan Skarsgard) who had found her bloody and beaten in an ally. This half of the story begins with her discovering new love with her old fling Jerome (Shia LaBeouf) and eventually starting a family with him, but the film starts to become quite darker than the first as Joe loses her ability to achieve orgasm and goes to drastic, and even dangerous lengths to find pleasure again.
As I stated in my previous review, most people assume that Lars von Trier is going to fill this film with a ton of pornographic, sexually explicit acts. Despite the pounding music and flashy images that the trailers showcase… those people would be wrong. Although there are sex scenes that beg the question as to whether the actors were actually having sex (which they are not according multiple accounts from the actors during their recent press tour), the film did not make such graphic scenes a habit. Also, graphic scenes are kept very short. Once their impact (no pun intended) was made, von Trier was on to the next scene. Hopefully, we’ve moved past this since this is the second installment. You will want to see Volume 1 prior to this film.
This film deals a bit more with Joe’s personal relationships, and proves that despite finding love, the need to fulfill her sexual appetite is inevitably something that she cannot control. It’s even stronger than her desire to be a mother, which leads her to leave her child alone in his crib one night to engage in a late night S&M session. Joe also propositions an African man on the street, only to find that he has brought a friend for, as she calls it, a “sandwich”. Although that was in no way her intent, she stayed to participate.
Joe begins to attend meetings for sex addicts, but refuses to call herself an addict. Instead, she has embraced the term “nymphomaniac” and prefers to use the term in describing herself. It seemed, in that moment, that she had a firm grip on who she was, and chose to accept it. It was a powerful moment that did not last. Once embracing her vagina, Joe had put herself through so much wear and tear that she becomes ashamed of it… damaging it so much that she no longer lets others see. This is where we really start to see the emotional side of Joe, rather than the robotic being we see in her sex scenes.
All of the above still make for a good story. The part where they lose me is the late introduction to the character of P (Mia Goth). Joe has found her calling as a debt collector, and a good one at that. At the suggestion of her boss, she decides to take on a protégée. At first, her and P are inseparable, but P soon betrays Joe by falling for her ex-lover Jerome. The full circle story, for me, wasn’t something that needed to happen. I was more than pleased with the slope that her life had taken. It seemed real. The addition on P and this silly little twist took me out of the movie. The only twist that was really necessary, although predictable, was the very last twist with Seligman. This isn’t an M. Night Shyamalan movie… we don’t need to make it more complicated with added twists! Keep the film raw.
I’m glad that they split the two films apart. I really just wish that they wouldn’t have cheapened the second film with that extra love story triangle. For me, it was enough to put a dent in the film.
Lars von Trier’s NYMPHOMANIAC : VOLUME 1 is a powerful, comedic drama that goes where few (non-pornography) theatrical films have gone before.
NYMPHOMANIAC : VOLUME 1 introduces us Joe (Charlotte Gainsbourge) as she opens up about her early upbringing to a stranger named Seligman (Stellan Skarsgard) who has found her bloody and beaten in an ally. After cleaning her up and offering her a bed to rest in, Joe begins the story of how she came to be in that alley – a story full a young Joe (played by Stacy Martin) discovering her body, sexuality, and eventually… love.
As the tale goes on, Seligman begins to relate her stories to the only things that he can – fly fishing, art, numbers etc. He listens intently as Joe opens up about the best, and worst times of her life without judgement or prejudice. But remember, we’ve only heard half of the story.
At first glance, most people assume that Lars von Trier is going to fill this film with a ton of pornographic, sexually explicit acts. Despite the pounding music and flashy images that the trailers showcase… those people would be wrong. Although there are sex scenes that beg the question as to whether the actors were actually having sex (which they are not according multiple accounts from the actors during their recent press tour), the film did not make such graphic scenes a habit. Also, graphic scenes were kept very short. Once their impact (no pun intended) was made, von Trier was on to the next scene.
This film is not a sexy telling of a young girls sexcapades. Rather, it’s a look into the psychology behind sex, and people with unusual desires and needs. Joe’s tale starts out when she was incredibly young, and focuses on her need for sexual interaction rather than her enjoyment. Although she wasn’t enjoying her erotic activity in the beginning, she soon found that with sex, there was a certain kind of power. Her past is filled with sexual games such as competing with her best friend to see how many men they could sleep with on a single train ride. The winner got nothing more than a bag of sweets, but it wasn’t about the prize. She enjoyed the game. The manipulation. As she began gaining pleasure, her appetite increased, and so did her schedule of lovers. We are also confronted with her first feelings of love once she begins working for the man who, years ago, took her virginity (Shia LaBeouf).
There is more to this film than sex, pleasure, and tales of youth gone wild. We are also confronted with loss, as Joe loses her beloved father that we see through guide her through her childhood with tales of trees on their walks though the woods. The one connection we see as a constant with Joe is the relationship with her dad, played by Christian Slater. Their connection is the one breath of innocence that Joe has left. When it is taken away, it is an intense moment.
Stacy Martin is fantastic as the dead eyed, sexually sprightly Joe. She does a fantastic job of leaving her emotion and chemistry out the window as she takes on her many lovers. When we finally do see her click with someone, it’s a very powerful moment. Shia LaBeouf has always impressed me as an actor. He has a way of translating scenes to an audience in a realistic way, without going over the top.
NYMPHOMANIAC : VOLUME 1 is not for an uptight audience. Having said that, there is much more than explicit sex going on in this film. It’s the tale of a girl trying to live her life and cope with her needs in a society that does not understand.
CHAPTER 1 is THE COMPLEAT ANGLER CHAPTER 2 is JERÔME CHAPTER 3 is MRS. H CHAPTER 4 is DELIRIUM CHAPTER 5 is THE LITTLE ORGAN SCHOOL CHAPTER 6 is THE EASTERN & WESTERN CHURCH (THE SILENT DUCK) CHAPTER 7 is THE MIRROR CHAPTER 8 is THE GUN
NYMPHOMANIAC is the wild and poetic story of a woman’s erotic journey from birth to the age of 50 as told by the main character, the self-diagnosed nymphomaniac, Joe.
On a cold winter’s evening the old, charming bachelor, Seligman, finds Joe beaten up in an alleyway. He brings her home to his flat where he tends to her wounds while asking her about her life.
He listens intently as Joe over the next 8 chapters recounts the lushly branched-out and multi faceted story of her life, rich in associations and interjecting incidents.
The film stars Charlotte Gainsbourg, Stellan Skarsgård, Shia LaBeouf, Jamie Bell, Christian Slater, Connie Nielsen, Uma Thurman, Udo Kier and Willem Dafoe.
Here’s the latest video from Lars Von Trier’s NYMPHOMANIAC.
Chapter 4: Delirium
Delirium:
Confusion. Delusion. Hallucination.
The nymphomaniac’s father dies.
Since its initial launch in June, Zentropa Productions has been unveiling each chapter on the film’swebsite:
CHAPTER 1 is THE COMPLEAT ANGLER CHAPTER 2 is JERÔME CHAPTER 3 is MRS. H CHAPTER 4 is DELIRIUM CHAPTER 5 is THE LITTLE ORGAN SCHOOL CHAPTER 6 is THE EASTERN & WESTERN CHURCH (THE SILENT DUCK) CHAPTER 7 is THE MIRROR CHAPTER 8 is THE GUN
NYMPHOMANIAC is the wild and poetic story of a woman’s erotic journey from birth to the age of 50 as told by the main character, the self-diagnosed nymphomaniac, Joe. On a cold winter’s evening the old, charming bachelor, Seligman, finds Joe beaten up in an alleyway. He brings her home to his flat where he tends to her wounds while asking her about her life. He listens intently as Joe over the next 8 chapters recounts the lushly branched-out and multi faceted story of her life, rich in associations and interjecting incidents.
The film stars Charlotte Gainsbourg, Stellan Skarsgård, Shia LaBeouf, Jamie Bell, Christian Slater, Connie Nielsen, Udo Kier and Willem Dafoe.
CHAPTER 1 is THE COMPLEAT ANGLER CHAPTER 2 is JERÔME CHAPTER 3 is MRS. H CHAPTER 4 is DELIRIUM CHAPTER 5 is THE LITTLE ORGAN SCHOOL CHAPTER 6 is THE EASTERN & WESTERN CHURCH (THE SILENT DUCK) CHAPTER 7 is THE MIRROR CHAPTER 8 is THE GUN
NYMPHOMANIAC is the wild and poetic story of a woman’s erotic journey from birth to the age of 50 as told by the main character, the self-diagnosed nymphomaniac, Joe. On a cold winter’s evening the old, charming bachelor, Seligman, finds Joe beaten up in an alleyway. He brings her home to his flat where he tends to her wounds while asking her about her life. He listens intently as Joe over the next 8 chapters recounts the lushly branched-out and multi faceted story of her life, rich in associations and interjecting incidents.
The film stars Charlotte Gainsbourg, Stellan Skarsgård, Shia LaBeouf, Jamie Bell, Christian Slater, Connie Nielsen, Udo Kier and Willem Dafoe.
![Final art us[2]](https://i0.wp.com/www.wearemoviegeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/Final-art-us2-560x829.jpg?resize=560%2C829&ssl=1)
