Despite the Night

As we can expect from Philippe Grandrieux, Malgré la nuit does not allow itself to be classified easily. His latest film feels more Lynchian than ever, but it is much more than that. It may well be a sensual exploration of the dark side of love or an intimate portrait of jealousy and regret. It may be a romantic drama about people who don't know how to be romantic. Whatever, it's a film about Lenz, a young man who returns from England to Paris in order to look for his beloved Madeleine. And about Helena and Lena, the women he finds instead of Madeleine. Above all, it's a story about the destructive consequences of all these encounters, which takes the form of a macabre sexual underworld. Of course all of this is portrayed as only Grandrieux can: physical, stylised and hyper-sexual. (International Film Festival Rotterdam)