BA_Harrison Nymph()maniac Joe (Charlotte Gainsbourg) continues to tell her soporific tale of sex addiction and S&M to asexual stranger Seligman (Stellan Skarsgård).I surely deserve some kind of medal for watching Nymph()maniac Volumes 1 and 2 back-to-back; either that or I need my head examining. Like the first film, this second volume is wall-to-wall pseudo-intellectual tripe with a little hardcore sex and some S&M to spice things up. Actually, scrap that… it's more like a hardcore sex and S&M movie with some pseudo-intellectual claptrap in an effort to validate it as a work of art and not just extremely bad porn.It's hard to say who or what I hated most about this film, since virtually every frame irked me, but if I had to choose it would be both Skarsgård and Gainsbourg, whose lifeless performances threaten to put the viewer into a coma, Jamie Bell's irritating turn as professional masochist K (I have hated almost everything I have seen him in) and Shia La Beouf as Jerome (I've hated almost everything I have seen him in too).Having now sat through three Lars Von Trier movies, the other being the barely watchable Antichrist, I can now say that I am officially done with this director.

Hasek I admit to having mixed feelings about so much negativity regarding Nymphomaniac. Yes, Nymphomaniac is a single 5 hour film. Much like previous attempts to separate films into two features (Kill Bill, The Matrix sequel), these "two" films do not work separately. Also, I imagine many are viewing the theatrical releases, versions neither edited nor approved by director Lars Von Trier, who instead of creating two shorter "watered down" visions deferred to his assistant and instead focused on he director's cut. And that is where this film comes alive. It saddens me that the casual film-goer would dismiss such an ambitious, challenging, cumulatively awe-inspiring composition, yet un-surprised by the lazy and prudish instinct when it comes to empathizing with both stigmatized femininity, taboo sex and fear of something bold.As a single, sprawling opus, Nymphomaniac comprehensively confronts the realities of sex from the point of view of a woman, tracking her along the many emotional highs and lows through her life. Many have been put off by the (at times) graphic sex and "other" imagery, but the unflinching nature of these scenes is meant to convey the truth of her at first shameless and, gradually, self-judgmental self image, as she is slowly broken down by culture. It is a glorious, painful, and ultimately, triumphant protest for female empowerment, for female voice, albeit clothed in appropriately harsh packaging, and a reminder that even in such seemingly liberated times, women are still slaves to expectation, to morality, to public and patriarchal pressure, not their own desire, and the film is a harsh critic of this. Confronting difficult or ignored topics is rarely comfortable, and this film holds nothing back in passionately and comprehensively defining the prison of culture so many women aspire to transcend.

thezenhu-94152 Okay, let's begin with the premise of the story. It does not have one and quite honestly, i am surprised an actress would allow herself to be humiliated like this in the name of acting. As a previous actor, this is one of the reasons I got out of the industry is the fact that these type of films would not be considered over the top but the industry will censor some crude language???Anyway, back to the porno, er I mean film. If Lars Van Trier wanted to do a porno he should have done one because in my opinion that's what this was but sans the titillation. I really do not understand the point behind the film and the actors all seemed to be in some hazy-type state. I did not even get through the movie because I was really only interested to see what all the hype was about. so i cannot elaborate completely on the premise but from what i saw i passed over most of it and was thoroughly not impressed. In my opinion, i would urge anyone who wants to see a film to stay completely away from this. Good luck on your next project Mr. Van Trier....

loumiles-25568 i watched the theatrical version with both movies together, i am a huge lars von trier fan, have seen antichrist and his other harder films, i have read that this is the last film in his depression trilogy which is antichrist melancholia nyphomaniac. this film was so powerful, i found the experience menacing. the meanings i have got from the films is that we are all inherently evil. but in these films (it really is women are all inherently evil). nyphomaniac is so massive in scope it blows the other films away. the film is repellent. but still a genuine work of art. i hated it and loved it at the same time. for a man to make a film about female sexuality is a bold thing to do, lars nearly always has the lead as a female, but with this subject matter the man has got guts that's for sure, i saw the film with a female friend, she had a similar experience to me. i have not said this about any other film, and i loved antichrist, this film was hurting me, yet i could not stop watching. anyone who says its a black comedy or has comedic elements don't listen, this is his most serious film to date, unlike antichrist where the evil is quite obvious, in this movie the evil is insidious, it creeps around and gets right under your skin. i feel he has triumphed in his trilogy, and has committed a very dark entity to celluloid. not for the faint hearted. and please do not watch this movie, before you have seen some of his other work. as you need to build up to this one. (lars you are my favorite catholic, but you scare me)See less▲