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Best movie ever!

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Blistering performances.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

About 25 minutes into this film we abruptly learn that the dynamics of the relationship between these two women is far from what it at first seems; and 'The Duke of Burgundy' becomes an engrossing emotional drama about a relationship in crisis. Sidse Babett Knudsen and Chiara D'Anna are both wondrous as the two glamorous lipstick lesbians - especially when their magnificent bone structures are photographed in close up or in profile - and the film doesn't stint on cool girl-on-girl action (there's much zipping up and unzipping of boots, and the film appropriately has credits for both perfume and lingerie). The older, more sophisticated Cynthia (Knudsen), however, is tiring of being required daily to play out the same scenario in which she has to bully her younger lover Evelyn (D'Anna), who remains stubbornly oblivious of the strain this is placing upon Cynthia. Cynthia (presumably in a nod towards Vladimir Nabokov) lectures on butterflies and moths before an all-woman audience attired & coiffed with the same buttoned-down elegance as the two leads. (The only male cast members are the dead insect specimens pinned to pieces of card.) The period is unclear (Cynthia writes her lectures on a very old-fashioned manual typewriter) but vaguely resembles the 1970s of hothouse sapphist fare like 'Daughters of Darkness', 'Die Bitteren Tränen der Petra von Kant' and exploitation films like 'Vampyros Lesbos'. (Much of 'The Duke of Burgundy' resembles a vampire film without vampires.)Cynthia's mounting disinclination to keep up with Evelyn's insatiable demands for stimulation is exacerbated by back trouble, (as Victoria Wood once famously put it, "You know I pulled a muscle when I did that grouting",) which means that she's now spending a lot of time slouching about in pyjamas rather than a corset and stockings when not being woken up in the night by Evelyn because of her snoring (although Knudsen still looks chic even in pyjamas without her wig.) Neither Knudsen or D'Anna's first language is English, which lends a certain unreality to their enunciation; but both actresses are extremely eloquent with their eyes and facial expressions. The crowning moment comes with Cynthia's sudden tearful disintegration at her inability to continue for the umpteenth time with yet another of Evelyn's endless roleplays.

Duke of Burgundy starts off really interesting and it was enjoying watching the story unfold. But the second half of the film fails to inspire any intrigue and the acting is pretty shallow. I didn't feel for any of the characters.I disagree with other reviewers that the film showed anything about relationships. I found the relationships simplified and frankly unrealistic.However, the otherworldly feel of the film is incredibly well done. The pace is at times perfect, slow enough to be intriguing without becoming boring and overall I had a good feel during the first half. But in the end, the style of the film really just covers the failings in the story and acting, making a terrible film into an okay one.Watch if you're into otherworldly films exploring slightly odd relationships. Don't expect much depth. Expect things that don't quite make sense and can't be placed.

'THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY': Four and a Half Stars (Out of Five)Critically acclaimed British drama/erotic thriller flick, written and directed by Peter Strickland. The film tells the story of a lepidopterology student, and her instructor, who also engage in a highly obsessive BDSM relationship. The movie stars Sidse Babett Knudsen and Chiara D'Anna, as it's two leads, and it features a cast of entirely female actors. It was one of the best reviewed films of 2015, by critics, and I highly enjoyed it. Evelyn (D'Anna) is studying lepidopterology, under the tutelage of Cynthia (Knudsen); who is much older. She also appears to work as a maid, in her home. Cynthia is extremely domineering of Evelyn, expecting perfect cleanliness, and punishing her, when she doesn't meet her expectations (in a seemingly sadistic way). Then we learn that the two are romantic sexual partners, as well, and Evelyn has been telling Cynthia how to behave towards her; often giving her scripts, on what to say and do. The expectations Evelyn demands of Cynthia, have actually taken an emotional toll on Cynthia; as she feels she can't continue to meet Evelyn's obsessive needs.Being a fan of femdom, I found the film to be quite fascinating. I could really relate to Evelyn as well; although I'm not nearly as obsessive as she is (or weird). That's why I found the movie to be involving, and highly entertaining; but it's also a great love story, and a powerful examination of how that way of life can effect the people involved (especially when they want different things). It's beautifully directed, in a style reminiscent to classic films (of yesteryear), and the two lead performance are both great in it as well. I also like how the filmmakers casted all women, in every single role. It's a weird film, but it's not as sexual as you might think; it's a lot more about the psychology of sex, than it is about showing it in great detail. It's definitely a good film; the critics are right about this one!watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: https://youtu.be/A1MyBFioKXM

Bearing a title perhaps more appropriate to a Francophone frock flick starring Isabelle Adjani, The Duke of Burgundy takes its title from a species of butterfly. Insects – and especially Lepidoptera – are front and center in this film, though their actual bearing on the plot is minimal.The film details an unusual relationship between two women. Cynthia (Mifune and After the Wedding's Sidse Babett Knudsen) is an imperious, middle-aged writer and amateur entomologist, while Evelyn (Chiarra D'Anna) is a younger woman who at first appears to be Cynthia's simpering maid – a helpmeet who just can't seem to wash madam's underwear properly.Belying first impressions, their relationship is not strictly of the master-slave variety. The duo are a couple engaged in a sado-masochistic fling: Cynthia issues the (frequently unreasonable) orders, and Evelyn carries them out until compelled to utter the safe word pinastri – otherwise known as the Pine Hawk-moth, a species of butterfly. The scripted 'game' is repeated on a daily basis – at least, until Cynthia becomes a little bored with it all, and the safe word begins to lose its efficacy.Though he can hardly be considered a youngster at 41, writer-director Peter Strickland (Berberian Sound Studio) is clearly among the best of the recent crop of British film directors. He's in great company with Steve McQueen, Richard Ayoade and others, but his style is utterly his own, reflecting a cornucopia of film influences from the 1960s and '70s.Critics have compared his work with that of David Lynch, but that's a facile comparison at best. Other than The Elephant Man (1979), Lynch has never made a film about real, believable human beings. His characters are symbols, not people. Such is not Strickland's style.There are echoes here of Dario Argento (the plague of locusts in Phenomena), Harry Kümel (one of the film's secondary characters bears a startling resemblance to Delphine Seyrig's character in Kümel's Daughters of Darkness), and Jean Rollin (Monica Swinn, featured in Rollin's astonishing pirate fantasy Demoniacs and not seen on screen since 1982, was somehow tempted out of retirement by Strickland ala Suzy Kendall in Berberian).The Duke of Burgundy is a looker, with veteran cinematographer Nicholas Knowland (who shot Simon Magus, one of the best films no-one's ever seen) capturing the Hungarian locations in deep autumnal hues. And then there's the film's opening credits: truly the finest credit sequence I've seen in years. The late Maurice Binder would have been impressed.Let's not forget the music: composed by a collective known as Cat's Eyes, the film's score is exquisite. Strickland is also a master of sound manipulation, and he effectively uses 'songs' by recording artists Flying Saucer Attack and Nurse With Wound as ambient noise throughout The Duke of Burgundy.Have I gushed sufficiently? The bottom line is I can't recommend this film highly enough, and it'll feature prominently on my faves of 2015 list. And if you're still not convinced, surely you can't resist a film featuring a credited 'human toilet consultant'?