Film Reviews by SB

The central story - weird man locks up young woman - is not original (cf 'The Collector', and others), but this is a fairly competent version, set in the grimier parts of modern Berlin and with a good central performance by a de-glamorised Theresa Palmer as the Australian woman who is at first willing but finds herself trapped. The part of her captor is not played over the top. There are loose ends - it seems highly likely that in reality she could have escaped given the opportunities available - although one issue is how much she wants to do so. That however is not fully explored. And the ending is not very satisfactory.

This film starts slightly confusingly, and it is worth reading a synopsis beforehand. But as it gets into its stride it becomes an entertaining but also thoughtful work about gender in the theatre and what reality is in a play. The period settings are good. The performances are also all good, perhaps most especially Rupert Everett as Charles II and Richard Griffiths as the effete but callous Sir Charles Sedley.