Though maybe not to everyone's tastes, the film does live up to expectations, as long as you have some idea of what to expect. H ERE'S a film you won't forget in a hurry. From the opening sequence which features a basket of severed heads at the foot of a guillotine, to images of torture, simulated sex, necrophilia, self flagellation, blasphemy and insanity, this is a no holds barred film that is as remarkable in execution as it is overwhelming in subject matter. Performances are outstanding, with the Oscar nominated Geoffrey Rush taking the lead in a truly riveting performance as the Marquis de Sade whose racy, sexy prose outraged Napoleon, but whose works sold like hotcakes. Central to the plot is one of the most unusual love triangles you're likely to see on the big screen as well as unrequited love aplenty.
Costumes are detailed and lavish and the set richly evocative of decay.
One can almost smell the asylum. This is a deeply powerful film that has a strong sense of the bizarre and the cruel. The faint hearted should keep their distance, but they will be missing a very rewarding experience. Dex follows the Tao of Steve, the surest way to get a woman into bed. You see, Dex isn't the man he used to be.