I like costume dramas and period pieces as much as the next person, but this one just didn't sit that well with me at all. Despite the sumptuous detail, exquisite costumes and a great score, it failed to draw me in on an emotional level. For me, none of the characters were in any way likable, and the worst thing was that it felt so stuffy. Besides this, I've only seen one other Catherine Breillat film, ROMANCE which, while having a depressing atmosphere that I often enjoy, was too pretentious for me to really get into. This film, combined with the other, is almost enough for me to swear off Catherine Breillat films from here on out. The basics of the story is that a young nobleman is engaged to be married, but his former mistress of 10 years (Asia Argento) doesn't want to let him go. I've never particularly liked Asia Argento, but she seemed a little more natural in French here then in the few English roles I've seen her in elsewhere. The actor who played Ryno de Marigny, the man to be married, also didn't work for me. He was so uncharismatic and it baffled me how he could have been so entranced by Asia Argento's Vellini. The only two characters that I thought were the least bit interesting were two old ladies, one of whom listens to Ryno's long story about his past with Vellini. At least they seemed like they were having fun with the material. Overall, while it might have a few interesting things to say about fidelity (or the lack thereof) in relationships and excellent production design, to me it was too emotionally vacuous and stodgy to really be effective. Maybe see this if you're a fan of Catherine Breillat, but for everyone else, there are better period pieces worth your time, such as THE INVISIBLE WOMAN.
Review of The Last Mistress
