Delpy, as actress, displays the psychology of the character forcefully, but there is nothing else that is remarkably intelligent or otherwise interesting, story-wise or cinematically. It feels like the film has a continuous gray setting and the story is quite flat. And the whole film feels a bit mock-noble pretentious.

I like the story, how they made a realistic version of a myth. A strong women are always been threat for men. I liked the editing and sets were well done. Unfortunately the directing was dull and flat. There was no ups, no downs. All good points went in vain without strong emotions.

here's a blood red score for the countess. maybe delpy shouldn't direct.

Despite the exciting plot, beautiful production design and lensing, this is poorly handled and quite silly.

This was boring, frankly.

Love period dramas; this is average.

Stiff, contrived and clumsy, although I liked the subject matter. This could have been a much better film. Still too early for Delpy (director and star of her own film) as a director and writer to have any subtlety in her work.

Delpy is always good but the movie just takes pleasure in horrific descriptions without even a satisfying historic background.

Julie Delpy depicts the gloomy Countess with a great sense of apathy thus denying the viewer access to the main protagonist. The story falls flat when the central romance is thrusted to the screen with little preparation, and Daniel Brühl doesn't manage to pull off the role of the passionate young lover. Delpy's feminist agenda comes across strongly - not to mention the Botox allegory - and she reminds the viewer that the whole story might as well be made up by greedy old men.