The Last Mistress (2007)

Secrets, rumors and betrayals surround the upcoming marriage between a young dissolute man and virtuous woman of the French aristocracy.

Director:

Catherine Breillat

Writers:

Jules-Amédée Barbey d'Aurevilly (novel), Catherine Breillat (adaptation)

Stars:

Asia Argento, Fu'ad Aït Aattou, Roxane Mesquida

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Asia Argento	...	Vellini
Fu'ad Aït Aattou	...	Ryno de Marigny
Roxane Mesquida	...	Hermangarde
Claude Sarraute	...	La marquise de Flers
Yolande Moreau	...	La comtesse d'Artelles
Michael Lonsdale	...	Le vicomte de Prony
Anne Parillaud	...	Mme de Solcy
Jean-Philippe Tesse	...	Le vicomte de Mareuil
Sarah Pratt	...	La comtesse de Mendoze
Amira Casar	...	Mademoiselle Divine des Airelles
Caroline Ducey	...	La dame de Pique
Lio	...	La chanteuse
Isabelle Renauld	...	L'arrogante
Nicholas Hawtrey	...	Sir Reginald
Léa Seydoux	...	Oliva

Storyline

At 30, boyish penniless aristocrat Ryno de Marigny has separated from Villini, a passionate Spaniard and his mistress of 10 years. He's now in love with Hermangarde, a young, wealthy, and titled virgin. Days before the wedding, the bride's grandmother sits Ryno down and insists on knowing if his affair is over. He relates a story of passion, which we see in flashbacks, swearing he loves only Hermangarde. After the wedding, the couple moves to a castle by the sea. And Villini? Can passion survive disgust and self-loathing?

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Plot Keywords:

breasts | female frontal nudity | female nudity | female full frontal nudity | infidelity | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Unrated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Catherine Breillat discovered Fu'ad Aït Aattou in a Paris café.

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Goofs

While Ryno is descending the stairs at the opera, an Edgar Degas mural can be seen. Degas would have only just been born in this era.

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Connections

Featured in Metropolis: Cannes 2007 - Special (2007)

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Soundtracks

Guillaume Tell: On entend Des montagnes
By Gioachino Rossini

User Reviews

He loves her, he marries another one....

This is a beautiful period film with a lot of Breillat's trademark unflinching look at love and war between sexes. The story is old, but this is first time I see it put so frankly - they not marrying the the love of their life....

Sex is shot amazingly. There is an eyeful of historical detail and actors are looking great, dressed and undressed. The book it is based on according to Breillat, is autobiographical, which makes it even more interesting.

To put it simply - great work in many aspects.

Bravo again Catherine!

Details

Country:

France Italy

Language:

French

Release Date:

18 July 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Last Mistress

Filming Locations:

Île de Bréhat, Côtes-d'Armor, France

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$33,554, 29 June 2008

Gross USA:

$785,671

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,831,577

Company Credits

Production Co:

Flach Film, CB Films, France 3 Cinéma

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min 114 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1