Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
An enigmatic actress may have a hidden agenda when she auditions for a part in a misogynistic writer's play.
Polanski's adaptation of David Ives's stage play is a masterclass in theatrical tension, with an ever-shifting power dynamic between the two characters that constantly subverts expectations. The plot is a brilliantly constructed spiral of role-playing, seduction, and feminist deconstruction of male artistic authority. Seigner and Amalric deliver electrifying, chameleonic performances as the boundaries between actress, playwright, and their fictional counterparts dissolve. Cinematography is competent but deliberately constrained by the single-location stage setting. The ending, while thematically resonant and mythologically rich, lands somewhat abruptly and may feel opaque to some viewers. Novelty is high — the film is a singularly distinctive piece of theatrical cinema that uses its confined space to devastating psychological effect.