The story of a young woman’s descent into the kinky and dangerous sexual underground in Madrid.
Now, this is the ticket. Erotically super-charged, Bigas Luna’s study of one woman’s descent into sado-masochism remains a titillating triumph, particularly in this almost fully uncut format.
Understandably, the one shot the BBFC have still declined to pass is the credit-sequence close-up of a naked baby, but that’s hardly to say what’s left is bereft of shock value.
Pubic shavings, masturbating transsexuals and anal fisticuffs, it’s all here, as little Lulu (Francesca Neri) gets pushed a touch too far by hubby Oscar Ladoire and embarks on a quest to knock off half of Italy.
This is the story of a woman told pretty much through her sex life. As the film progresses we watch as her life goes from one of normalcy to one on the fringes of “normal” society, and its a course mirrored by her sex life.
It is a very lurid film that pretty much covers every sexual subject you can think of, and probably some you can’t. Its a well made movie that is so close to being an explicit film that one wonders why they didn’t bother to go all the way and not shy away from showing it all.
But its not really about the sex, since this is a smutty film that has the belief that its about something other than just showing hot sweaty sex. I’m not sure if thats true or not. Actually I’m not sure what I think of this film. frankly its one of those movies that you see and aren’t enthused by, but which you find yourself haunted by none the less. There is something about the film that keeps me wondering if its not better than I think it is. Then again it maybe it’s just the desire to see the hot sweaty sex again (It really is steamy)
If you’re not prudish and ready to deal with sex in all of its varieties then by all means dive in and give it a try. If you are offended by anything other than straight forward heterosexual sex, then stay away.
AKA The Ages of Lulu
Francesca Neri, Javier Bardem
